Is it a manufacturing snafu or could this be an early warning sign of COVID-19? It was the latter possibility that intrigued Portland, Oregon–based science illustrator Terri Nelson, enough that she began looking at online reviews of scented candles. She found plenty of evidence that something was amiss. Writing on Twitter in late November, she noted, “There are angry ladies all over Yankee Candle’s site reporting that none of the candles they just got had any smell at all. I wonder if they’re feeling a little hot and nothing has much taste for the last couple days too.” Fever and loss of the ability to taste and smell can be symptoms of COVID-19. RELATED: From Nose to Toes, the List of COVID-19 Symptoms Keeps Growing
Scented Candle Reviews: A Look at the Data
“These numbers may not seem like much, but the trajectory of no-scent reviews over the last 11 months is certainly an interesting one,” Petrova notes. Of course, these are not true studies, Petrova says, adding that more work will need to be done to determine if there’s an association between COVID-19 cases and negative reviews of scented products. But it’s possible that keeping track of how well you smell might give you an early warning that you have COVID-19. RELATED: 53 Top Self-Care Tips for Taking Care of You During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Why Do Some People With COVID-19 Lose Their Sense of Smell?
Omid Mehdizadeh, MD, an otolaryngologist and laryngologist at the Pacific Eye, Ear, and Skull Base Center at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Los Angeles, has some thoughts on why COVID-19 can, for some people, lead to a loss of smell and taste. “Viruses in general have been known to cause postinfectious loss of smell and taste,” he says. “We don’t know exactly why, but it’s likely due to changes in your olfactory bulb, in the front of the brain.” Nerve fibers that connect your brain to your nose may become inflamed when you have a virus, he says. It’s also possible that a certain type of cell — called a sustentacular cell — can begin to die off when the nerves related to your olfactory system are negatively affected by a virus like the novel coronavirus, says Dr. Mehdizadeh. When that happens, it takes a while for new cells to replace them. For some people, that might mean a few weeks, but for others, it could be months. “Some people with the flu can lose their sense of smell for six to eight months,” Mehdizadeh says. “With COVID, we don’t know yet. Some people who had the virus early on still haven’t regained the ability to smell.” RELATED: Meet the COVID-19 “Long Haulers”
Why Losing Your Sense of Smell Is a Real Problem
Although loss of smell is a much more modest concern than other symptoms like being able to breathe properly, it can be more than just a bummer, Mehdizadeh says. “We see people lose their appetite, so nutrition becomes a problem, and of course, smell warns us that something is wrong, like in the case of spoiled food, smoke, or a gas leak,” he says. “But it’s also a quality of life issue. You don’t know how much you enjoy your sense of smell until it’s gone, even temporarily.” The takeaway? If you’ve got some scented candles, this could be a good time to light them. And then maybe leave a good review online.
