Suddenly my Sense of Smell and Taste Vanished

For weeks now, friends and family from around the world have been asking me if I know anyone who has Coronavirus. Until yesterday, the answer to that question had been a resounding no. Last night I got a message from a friend (let’s call him Frank to protect his identity) telling me he was at the hospital with mild pneumonia and was awaiting test results.  He is 29 years old. By this morning it was confirmed that Frank has the virus. I asked him to tell me exactly what he went through so I could share it here.  While symptoms are different in different people, I think it’s helpful to have a first-hand account of his experience.

 “It all started about 8 days ago.  I feel a bit tired, but everything seems pretty normal. Except that my legs ache like never before. The ache reminds me of the pain you feel after a game of football (soccer) when you haven’t played for a long time. Slowly I also start getting a temperature, but I brush it aside thinking it might be the excessive heating in my apartment. But the fever (which barely reaches 38°C/100.4°F) persists. I try to reassure myself that it’s a just a seasonal flu, yet I cannot ignore an ongoing  sense of physical discomfort.

However, something makes an alarm bell go off. I cannot taste or smell anything, but I am not congested. (I have been told that this is one of the most recurrent and clear symptoms). But after four-five days I think I am improving, I feel better, less achy. The fever seems to be subsiding too, but I am losing my appetite.

Then, two nights ago, while trying to sleep, I start having trouble breathing. It dawns on me something is really wrong. I call the emergency number and end up at Fatebenefratelli (Editor’s note: a hospital in central Milan). I am admitted to the infectious disease department.  It’s like a war zone. People everywhere have tortured expressions; they seem desperate for a little peace and hope. I am checked thoroughly by the doctors and tested for Covid19. (Editor’s note: 24 hours later the test results are positive).  I have a mild case of pneumonia, but my overall health is good. The doctors are optimistic that I will be able to go home tomorrow. I am even starting to regain my sense of taste and smell, which had suddenly vanished.  I am told that in a few more days my body will be free of this virus. On the doctor’s recommendations I am taking to experimental viral pharmaceuticals: Kaletra and Plaquenil, hoping to do my part in helping medicine find a solution to this sad problem.”

Thanks to Frank for sharing his story and please keep in mind that this is just an anecdote, it’s not a scientific report.

For your daily dose of humor though (most necessary!) I would like to talk about the British.  Even though no lock down has been announced, it appears that the British are pillaging the supermarkets. My friend Naomi in East Sussex is planning to purchase two chickens and grow her own tomatoes and rocket.  I’ve tried to tell her this is entirely unnecessary, but the empty supermarket shelves speak louder than my reassurances. On the BBC this morning, they discussed that the habit of hoarding, or what the Dutch would call “hamster-ing”. It appears that this is going on all over Northern Europe, but much less so here in Italy and Spain. People here don’t hoard, so supermarkets don’t have to contend with the complicated logistics of restocking constantly. There are plenty of eggs and tomatoes for everyone, hurray.