It’s been a year since the pandemic began and many people are dealing with long-term side effects after contracting COVID-19.
Joshua Lickter, a coffee shop owner, says he tested positive for the coronavirus three months ago, but is still experiencing fatigue and loss of taste and smell.
He’s owned The Fig Tree coffee shop for the last four years, but says the smell of his own brew only exists in his mind now.
“I can smell it when it’s being ground and that aroma’s in the air, but it’s more of a burnt smell, it’s not the normal flowery, aromatic sense that I normally get,” Lickter explained.
When he first caught the virus, he experienced a high fever, shortness of breath, and exhaustion.
“I felt like, 'oh my gosh, this is horrible, this could really kill me.' I was in horrible pain and agony and could barely breathe,” Lickter said.
A new clinic at UC Davis Health is trying to treat people like Lickter who have lost their sense of smell after contracting COVID-19.
Dr. Toby Steele, an assistant professor of Otolaryngology at UC Davis, studies the nose and throat and has been examining patients who are dealing with similar experiences to Lickter's.
Steele says 80% of people who have had COVID-19 lose their sense of smell temporarily and about 10% of people have permanent loss.
“People will often tell me that they smell smoke or like burnt wires. Sometimes they think they smell garbage and it’s very disorienting,” Dr. Steele said.
To help his patients get their sense of smell back, he recommends two different therapies.
The first one is a sinus rinse that can help decrease inflammation in the nostrils.
The second therapy is smell training, where people sniff four different essential oils for 15 seconds each. Dr. Steele advises patients to start with rose, eucalyptus, lemon, and clove to try and jump start the brain’s processing center.
“That’s helping to sort of rebuild these connectivity issues where you’re smelling the smell and then your brain is processing it as that smell,” Dr. Steele said.
Lickter says he’s had a difficult time finding a doctor to treat him. He takes nutritional supplements and has tried all sorts of methods to treat his post-COVID ailments, but he hopes he’ll soon be able to see Dr. Steele.
The virus has taken an emotional toll on Lickter and he’s been struggling with depression without his normal levels of energy, taste, and smell.
“To people that are feeling the same thing to know that you’re not alone, you’re not crazy. This isn’t in your head. This is a real legitigmate thing,” Lickter said.
Doctors at UC Davis are still researching COVID-19 side effects and are looking for patients with long-term symptoms, so they can continue to learn how to treat and cure people like Lickter.
If you have experienced persistent smell loss from COVID-19 and are willing to volunteer, please call (916) 734-2704.