Whitney Leighton never even smelled the smoke. Her cake was burning, but by the time she heard the smoke detector shrieking, cake batter was already smoldering on the oven coils. This has been her life ever since she got and recovered from COVID in December 2021. By late March 2022, Whitney still couldn’t smell things, and some smells were distorted. She had anosmia and parosmia. While Americans knew COVID might steal their sense of smell, at least temporarily, long-term parosmia has come as a shock to many. They’d never heard of the condition that now makes them retch at the scent of their favorite foods or experiences, or even the people they love. Researchers are still trying to make sense of the mechanics of COVID-19-induced smell loss. The Biden administration recently ordered a new national plan that includes addressing how disability benefits should be handled for people with never-ending symptoms, including, possibly, people who can’t work because of their damaged sense of smell. Doctors say there is hope, but it will take time and work. Tap our link in bio to read Whitney’s story, and how this invisible disability has changed the lives of so many during the pandemic. Photos by Meg McLaughlin from The Register.