How long does loss of smell last with COVID?

COVID-19 can temporarily affect the smell-sensing lining inside the nose and the way smell signals are processed. Smell may disappear completely, become weaker, or seem distorted as it returns. Food can taste bland because much of flavour comes from smell. A changing or returning sense of smell can be part of recovery, but persistent loss may also have other explanations, including allergic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, or a common cold.

Use your usual COVID-19 precautions and follow local health advice while you are unwell. Keep smoke, strong chemicals, and very hot foods away from your nose. Check food dates carefully because you may not notice spoilage, and make sure smoke or gas alarms are working. Smell training, using familiar safe scents in a structured routine, may be discussed with a clinician when symptoms continue. Do not put irritants or unprescribed products inside the nose.

Arrange a medical review if smell loss is not improving, returns in an unusual way, or affects eating, safety, or daily life. Seek urgent help for breathing difficulty, chest pain, new confusion, severe weakness, or difficulty staying awake. A clinician can check the nose, review the timing of COVID-19 symptoms, and consider whether ongoing symptoms fit Long COVID or another condition.

Ask whether the pattern of recovery is expected, whether smell training is suitable, and whether nasal symptoms suggest allergic rhinitis or chronic sinusitis. Tell the clinician when the smell change began, whether taste is affected, and whether smells seem distorted.