Covid-related loss of smell tied to changes in the brain

Ironically, I've never had symptomatic covid even with roomates who had both the original covid variant and more recent strains.

Other than a few weeks of feeling tired one time, I've never actually managed to test positive. This is after living in new york for the past four years.

Anyone else had this experience? The only palpable side-effect or long-lasting effect has been increased noise sensitivity, tinitus in one ear seemingly out of nowhere and now I have mild exima which never was an issue in years past.

I caught COVID during the first wave and a second time in 2021. The first time, the hardest, I lost my sense of smell, everything had a smoky or oily nauseating odor. About a month later, gradually, my sense of smell returned. I had an excellent sense of smell, perceiving odors from quite a distance, in a varied and precise way, to the point of sometimes having a headache when they were strong. This level of olfactory performance, which I never made use of, never returned. On a vague comparative basis, I'd say it's returned to standard. In fact, that's the only positive point I can take from all this, as strong odors no longer seem to bother me.

At the time of my first infection, I was experiencing, like many, a real series of rather difficult life problems as well as major events. I'd say that could be partly to blame, but the COVID definitely diminished my cognitive abilities as well as my memory. I had what is commonly known as mental fog. Here I am, having studied all my life, doing art, design, programming and build many great stuff with passion, speed of execution and a mastery that I'd describe as fairly good, unable to learn anything new and in a permanent state of anxiety. I haven't coded anything good for 3 years now, and my physical health is deteriorating despite my continuous physical and mental efforts.

I forced myself to take a job well below my capabilities which, even so, sometimes poses certain difficulties for me. Telling myself that it would pass and I'd soon be back into it in no time, but it's quite the opposite that's happening. I'm getting dumbed down and sinking around juniors who are now far superior to me in terms of how. Where I live, COVID seems to have been relegated to an old story that no one wants to talk about anymore. The doctors are burnt out and none of the ones I've consulted seem to be able to diagnose long COVID or that sort of thing. I'm beginning to harbor a deep resentment towards this illness, seeing it as the major trigger that screwed up my career. A career that was so difficult to build because I put my know-how ahead of my network.

I've overcome so many hardships in the past. Since 2020, I've been unable to bounce back. I'm simply disgusted.

If you recognize yourself in this profile and impostor syndrome no longer seems so theoretical, I'd really appreciate not feeling lonely.

A reminder that you should still be masking in public. Better than permanent sensory loss and brain damage.