Loss of sense of smell, a condition known as anosmia, has emerged as a hallmark symptom of COVID-19. It’s estimated that 33.9% to 68% of COVID-19 patients1 — and as high as 98%, according to one study2 — experience some type of olfactory dysfunction, which is often regarded as more of an inconvenience than an actual health threat. In reality, however, you may not realize how important your sense of smell is until it’s gone. When you lose your sense of smell, you also lose your normal sense of taste. In the case of COVID-19, anosmia often occurs alongside dysgeusia, an altered or impaired sense of taste.3 In fact, the combination of anosmia/dysgeusia was a far better predictor of COVID-19 than other common symptoms like fever/chills or respiratory difficulty.4 “It’s mentally tough knowing the foods you used to love now simply taste like sewage. I no longer crave food or enjoy eating. It’s …