A student who lost her sense of taste and smell back in March after getting covid-19 still hasn't got it back.
Marta Batista caught the virus seven months ago and say she hasn't been able to enjoy food or smell anything since.
Advert
The 21-year-old said she had only mild symptoms, including a temperature and fatigue, before losing her sense of taste and smell.
Marta, who has dropped 17lbs (7.7kg) since catching the virus says she dreams of one day being able to enjoy her favourite cookie dough dessert or a meal cooked by her grandparents but fears her senses may never come back.
Aspiring actor Marta, from Ealing in London, said: "It's awful and sometimes I can't go to sleep because I'm thinking about it and I get really anxious.
"I feel like I'm in a bubble and I can't be inserted into the world.
Advert
"I can only smell really strong things and they are rotten, I'm losing weight because food makes me sick, I'm losing hope.
"Not being able to taste is awful because what are you going to eat?
"I lost so much weight because there is no pleasure in eating, you're only feeling the texture of the food but nothing else.
Advert
"I'm definitely feeling more anxious, also, since I'm really thin right now I have been struggling about body image because I look in the mirror and don't want to look like this, so that's definitely affected my mental health.
"Not being able to go out with friends for drinks or dinner is really awful because if I taste something it tastes horrible, so I have to eat because I have to not because I enjoy it."
Loss of taste and smell wasn't officially recognised as a symptom of covid-19 until May but Marta opted for a test in March anyway after experiencing other symptoms.
Advert
The drama student says that she has been able to smell some strong scents since June but that they are like 'awful rotten plastic' in her nostrils.
But she also jokes that her loss of taste has helped her stick to healthy eating.
She added: "I'm a person who doesn't eat fruit or vegetables so in the beginning when I didn't have any taste I took advantage of it and started making these green juices with as many fruit and vegetables as I could get."
Advert
The NHS says people with a high temperature, a new, continuous cough or a change to their sense of smell or taste, should get a covid-19 test and stay at home until the result arrives.
Featured Image Credit: Triangle NewsTopics: UK