Photo/Illutration An Asahi Shimbun reporter is tested for impaired sense of smell due to aftereffects from being infected with the novel coronavirus at the University of Tokyo Hospital in August 2020. (Provided by Kenji Kondo, an associate professor in the university's Graduate School of Medicine)

Checking the flavor and aroma of my coffee the first thing in the morning has become my daily routine since last spring.

I adopted this as my chosen method of testing my senses of taste and smell, when the loss of these was being made known as a telltale symptom of COVID-19.

To find out how exactly the senses are affected, I recently interviewed a 46-year-old woman in Chiba Prefecture who was forced to recuperate at home this past summer.

She said the first signs appeared the seventh day after she had tested positive for COVID-19.

A sip of potato soup she had was shockingly salty. And when she tried custard pudding, she found it sickeningly sweet.

Having a sweet tooth, she was fond of anything sugary. However, the custard's intense but "flat" sweetness was unlike anything she'd tasted before.

As for grated apple, it was as bitter as medicine.

Actually, she had noticed something was wrong with her sense of smell before her sense of taste went haywire.

She was using a strongly scented hand cream when she realized she couldn't smell it at all. And so, her nose got affected first and then her tongue.

"I took it for granted that I was going to lose both senses," she recalled. "In my case, however, the saltiness and sweetness I tasted in food were many times more intense than in reality."

Her high fever, accompanied by diarrhea, killed her appetite. Feeling too lethargic to eat, she passed up soups and "udon" noodles and made do with yogurt and beverages containing gelatin.

Once she began feeling a little better, anything sour became her go-to item. "I was saved by 'ponzu' citrus vinegar, and comforted by mikan tangerine-flavored ice lollies," she said.

She also noted she lost 5 kilograms from her two-week battle with COVID-19.

The COVID-19 state of emergency is going to be extended again. Nationwide, an aggregate total of 1.6 million people have been infected.

Every time I hear about the varied symptoms that affect the nose, tongue and respiratory organs, I am made acutely aware of the reason why this virus is described as "novel." And many people are suffering from long-term effects.

The Chiba woman recovered nicely. She said she is now able to enjoy the fragrance of "hoji-cha" tea that used to taste as bland as plain hot water.

I can only pray that all who have experienced this scourge will make a full recovery.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Sept. 9 

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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