For two years, we've navigated waves of contact cases and infections. While some have battled COVID-19 once, twice, or even three times, others have dodged the virus. The highly contagious Omicron variant shifted the landscape, pushing daily cases past 501,000 on January 25, 2022.
If you're not a known contact case but develop fever, night sweats, ear pain, loss of appetite, gastrointestinal issues, or cough, test with an antigen or PCR—it's likely positive. Some experience very mild symptoms, mistaking them for a common cold.
Another red flag? Your favorite drink tastes wrong. People testing positive for COVID often can't recognize sodas like Coca-Cola. Descriptions range from bitter to "sparkling water," "minced steak," or even "diesel." Why does this happen?
Children face parosmia more often than adults, but it affects many patients. Unlike total loss, taste and smell become distorted—beloved foods and drinks turn repulsive. Some liken coffee's aroma to a garbage can.
Professor Carl Philpott from the Norwich Medical School at the University of East Anglia (UEA) explains: "We believe that parosmia occurs because the olfactory receptors are not working as well. This leads to not being able to capture only certain components of a mixture of odors."
If parosmia strikes, your Coke may be off-limits for a while.
