New clinical-trial data suggest that an antiviral pill called ensitrelvir shortens the duration of two unpleasant symptoms of COVID-19: loss of smell and taste. The medication is among the first to alleviate these effects and, unlike other COVID-19 treatments, is not reserved only for people at high risk of severe illness.
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In Japan, where it received emergency approval last year, the drug is available to individuals with mild to moderate symptoms, regardless of their risk factors. Its developer, Shionogi in Osaka, Japan, is continuing to conduct clinical trials of the drug, which has not yet been approved outside Japan.
Of all the symptoms I had from COVID, this was the least concerning one. Not having my sense of smell or taste paled in comparison to being bedridden for 2 weeks and the months being fatigued at...
Of all the symptoms I had from COVID, this was the least concerning one. Not having my sense of smell or taste paled in comparison to being bedridden for 2 weeks and the months being fatigued at the slightest exertion, such as walking up or down the stairs.
In fact, it was almost nice not having taste because then I could limit my exertions by having the most bland and easy to make food.
As a contrary anecdote, not being able to taste or smell was by far the worst symptom when I had COVID. The fever I got over after 3 days. But I couldn't really taste anything for maybe 3 weeks...
As a contrary anecdote, not being able to taste or smell was by far the worst symptom when I had COVID. The fever I got over after 3 days. But I couldn't really taste anything for maybe 3 weeks afterwards. Or rather, I could taste some things which just made it worse.
For some reason I could taste "burnt" flavors but nothing anything else, which made cooked food almost inedible, since it was tasteless with pockets of burnt carbon that would otherwise either not be detectable or enhance the flavor if you could taste everything. It was good for weight loss, I suppose, I went down a good 7 lbs during those 3 weeks.
It's crazy to me how different everyone's covid experience is. I've had it twice and the worst symptoms I got were body aches and a fever for a couple days. Never lost the sense of taste, never...
It's crazy to me how different everyone's covid experience is. I've had it twice and the worst symptoms I got were body aches and a fever for a couple days. Never lost the sense of taste, never had breathing issues. A colleague on the other hand ended up with long covid and had brain fog for months.
I think both times I got the very contagious but comparatively mild Delta strains.
I know it isn't the same but I think of polio a lot with COVID. Some folks, most I believe, were asymptomatic. Some had the vomiting/diarrhea. Few had muscle aches and stiffness. Rarely people had...
I know it isn't the same but I think of polio a lot with COVID. Some folks, most I believe, were asymptomatic. Some had the vomiting/diarrhea. Few had muscle aches and stiffness. Rarely people had paralytic symptoms. Some of those were incredibly severe with different levels of recovery.
And then some had a post-polio syndrome decades later.
I haven't had COVID yet, to my knowledge, but I'll never really know for sure.
I have nasal polypsis. In I think 2012 I was an undiagnosed young'un, and got to the point of needing surgery, as my sinuses were 100% blocked. (Try pinching your nostrils shut and swallowing -...
I have nasal polypsis. In I think 2012 I was an undiagnosed young'un, and got to the point of needing surgery, as my sinuses were 100% blocked. (Try pinching your nostrils shut and swallowing - you should notice some weird, unpleasant pressures build in your sinus cavities and ears.) My head had constant pressure like that from the blockage. It's a miserable diagnosis that I wouldn't wish on anyone, and is only manageable with daily steroidal sinus rinse and yearly-ish oral steroids.
A big part of it is a reduced sense of smell. Reduced sense of taste comes with that territory. Not long after my surgery, I recall being brought a Chipotle bowl, and actually weeping as I was reminded for the first time in months that white rice and black beans and tomatoes and chicken all actually have a taste, they aren't just textures. Unfortunately the steroidal sinus rinse I use every day that keeps the polyps at bay also reduces sense of smell and thus also taste. But I retain some of the sense.
People say things like, "If I had to lose a sense I'd want it to be smell," and while that's probably true, it's probably the least important sense, smell is still fundamental to human experience to a degree that's hard to appreciate if you've never had that sense compromised.
I recall reading a (dubious) analysis many years ago, where some music journalist concluded that Kurt Cobain had painful scoliosis that he treated with heroin. Idk if that's true or not, but I do know that physical issues that may seem small (like back pain or loss of sense of smell) can have a massive negative impact on your life.
So anyway. This posted article is great news, and hopefully these results are accurate and this drug can be rolled out globally. It's easy to downplay a symptom like loss of smell that seems minor and even kind of goofy, but when you live with it, it's a different story.
From the article:
...
Of all the symptoms I had from COVID, this was the least concerning one. Not having my sense of smell or taste paled in comparison to being bedridden for 2 weeks and the months being fatigued at the slightest exertion, such as walking up or down the stairs.
In fact, it was almost nice not having taste because then I could limit my exertions by having the most bland and easy to make food.
As a contrary anecdote, not being able to taste or smell was by far the worst symptom when I had COVID. The fever I got over after 3 days. But I couldn't really taste anything for maybe 3 weeks afterwards. Or rather, I could taste some things which just made it worse.
For some reason I could taste "burnt" flavors but nothing anything else, which made cooked food almost inedible, since it was tasteless with pockets of burnt carbon that would otherwise either not be detectable or enhance the flavor if you could taste everything. It was good for weight loss, I suppose, I went down a good 7 lbs during those 3 weeks.
It's crazy to me how different everyone's covid experience is. I've had it twice and the worst symptoms I got were body aches and a fever for a couple days. Never lost the sense of taste, never had breathing issues. A colleague on the other hand ended up with long covid and had brain fog for months.
I think both times I got the very contagious but comparatively mild Delta strains.
I know it isn't the same but I think of polio a lot with COVID. Some folks, most I believe, were asymptomatic. Some had the vomiting/diarrhea. Few had muscle aches and stiffness. Rarely people had paralytic symptoms. Some of those were incredibly severe with different levels of recovery.
And then some had a post-polio syndrome decades later.
I haven't had COVID yet, to my knowledge, but I'll never really know for sure.
I have nasal polypsis. In I think 2012 I was an undiagnosed young'un, and got to the point of needing surgery, as my sinuses were 100% blocked. (Try pinching your nostrils shut and swallowing - you should notice some weird, unpleasant pressures build in your sinus cavities and ears.) My head had constant pressure like that from the blockage. It's a miserable diagnosis that I wouldn't wish on anyone, and is only manageable with daily steroidal sinus rinse and yearly-ish oral steroids.
A big part of it is a reduced sense of smell. Reduced sense of taste comes with that territory. Not long after my surgery, I recall being brought a Chipotle bowl, and actually weeping as I was reminded for the first time in months that white rice and black beans and tomatoes and chicken all actually have a taste, they aren't just textures. Unfortunately the steroidal sinus rinse I use every day that keeps the polyps at bay also reduces sense of smell and thus also taste. But I retain some of the sense.
People say things like, "If I had to lose a sense I'd want it to be smell," and while that's probably true, it's probably the least important sense, smell is still fundamental to human experience to a degree that's hard to appreciate if you've never had that sense compromised.
I recall reading a (dubious) analysis many years ago, where some music journalist concluded that Kurt Cobain had painful scoliosis that he treated with heroin. Idk if that's true or not, but I do know that physical issues that may seem small (like back pain or loss of sense of smell) can have a massive negative impact on your life.
So anyway. This posted article is great news, and hopefully these results are accurate and this drug can be rolled out globally. It's easy to downplay a symptom like loss of smell that seems minor and even kind of goofy, but when you live with it, it's a different story.