Covid side effect made me detest my own B.O., says Doncaster woman

Jane Williams, 54, contracted Covid-19 last May and then developed parosmia, a post coronavirus condition where tastes and smells are distorted - and pleasant smells often become disgusting.

She developed the condition in September – and was left feeling repulsed by her own body smell.

According to studies, one in 20 people who have Covid end up with parosmia – and in some cases, a full sense of smell returns – but many are still waiting.

In an interview with the BBC, she said: “About three weeks after catching Covid, my sense of smell returned. Food and wine smelled good again, thank God! (French foodie talking here.)

"But one thing got altered: I began to have a terrible distaste for my own BO.

“My sweat acquired an acrid rotting-veggie-like fetid smell - swamp-like, but acidic and sharp. It has some "green" notes as well as metal, freshly cut cabbage, and a hint of sulphur.

"Maybe also "perfume gone-off" - like vetiver, a fragrance I never liked.

“I miss my old smell.

"I've asked my family if they have noticed the difference but they all say, "Your BO stinks just like before, stop asking weird questions."

Parosmia is dysfunctional smell detection, characterized by the inability of the brain to correctly identify an odour's "natural" smell.

Instead, the natural odour is usually transformed into an unpleasant aroma, typically a "'burned,' 'rotting,' 'fecal,' or 'chemical' smell".