Aftertaste

[flwyd]

One of the reported symptoms of COVID-19 is loss of taste. I've been able to taste everything with no problem all week. I'm even getting some extra taste right now: a grapefruit was the first thing I ate this morning, almost 13 hours ago, and my mouth still tastes like citrus. If I eat something else I lose the grapefruit taste for awhile, then it returns after my mouth sits idle.

Comments

[queenlua]

(hi, long-time reader first-time commenter, hope this isn't too random :P)

this actually might be the paxlovid rather than coronavirus itself—one of the goofier side effects of the drug is making everything taste kinda like grapefruit.

hope it goes away soon enough, in either case!

[flwyd]

I found that Atlantic article too. It sounded like people were describing it as "grapefruit plus metal equals disgusting," while I've just had the experience of "straight up pure grapefruit pith, growing stronger the longer I don't eat anything." It mostly tastes okay (I'm a grapefruit fan), but it's kind of unnerving to wake up to a mouthful of nonexistent grapefruit.

After eating half a grapefruit on Saturday and Sunday, it's been two days without the real fruit and there's still some phantom taste, though it's not as strong tonight.

[queenlua]

Fascinating! Learn a new weird symptom every day.

(Also, love your icon!)