While COVID numbers do appear on the decline here in Washoe County, there are symptoms that remain in more than a million Americans who survived the virus.

To quote the bard, a rose by any other name would smell as sweet…but if you were suffering from long COVID, it may smell like sewage or burning tires, if it smells like anything at all.

“It's weird not being able to smell, you go your whole life smelling things and flowers and now walking around not being able to smell anything it's not a good deal," said Kyle Jackson, who caught COVID-19 almost a year ago. Jackson had no other symptoms from the virus, other than losing his sense of taste and smell. He has since regained his ability to taste, but cannot smell anything properly. "The best way I can describe it is if you have an outline of a smell."

It's something that experts are saying is becoming a common occurrence, with over a million Americans losing their olfactory sense. Like Lauren Dees, who caught COVID Halloween of 2020 and lost her sense of taste and smell.

“I can’t smell any smell at all, I can taste certain citrus things, raspberries, and cilantro...and that's really it," said Dees.

But loss of smell and taste are not the only forms of long COVID. They can also include fatigue, memory or concentration problems, depression, and chest pains.

“The virus really causes kind of an eruption in your body, or a hyper inflammatory response, and so that can affect multiple organs, and we really don't understand why it affects some patients more than others," said Dr. Curry-Winchell, Medical Director for Saint Mary's Urgent Care.

And while the loss of smell or taste is better than the alternative…”I know quite a few people who have died from COVID so I defiantly feel lucky that that's the worst of it," said Dees, the loss of those abilities has an effect on every part of your everyday life. But there is hope to regain those functions.

“Reaching out to and ear nose and throat specialist, someone who is well versed to help you regain the ability to smell and taste is huge," said Dr. Curry-Winchell.

She goes on to say there have been some patients who regained their senses after getting the vaccine as well.

There are other options to look into if you lost your sense of smell, like something with a strong stench, like an onion, garlic or ginger. Hold it up to your nose a few times a day and take a deep breath…this may re-start your olfactory system, and maybe get you stopping to smell those roses once again.