Crypto News: Smell you later

Hi, it's Lisa in London, where I've recently been able to smell coffee again for the first time in a while. But before we get to that...

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We've all had those moments in the office when a colleague tucks into food or drink and the strong smell causes us to turn our head. I had one of those experiences recently — but thankfully, as a long Covid sufferer, it was a good sensation.

I was sitting at at my desk when I was struck by the smell of coffee permeating from my colleague's desk. He normally drinks at least two cups a day, so that afternoon's coffee wasn't anything unusual. But this was the first time I'd noticed the smell.

A few weeks earlier, I was also able to smell the spices from a Portuguese chicken salad that I sometimes get for lunch. A couple of months ago, I couldn't get a whiff — not even when I put my nose up close to sniff it.

Since being infected with Covid in July 2022, which developed into long Covid, I have suffered from extreme fatigue, brain fog, headaches and muscle pain.

But as far as my symptoms go, I hadn't considered a dulled sense of smell as one of them. I am drawn to the scents of roses and lavender while walking through London's parks, and I can also smell when my dinner is nearly ready to be taken out of the oven.

For some people, anosmia — the complete loss of smell — has been an ongoing part of their long Covid condition. Scientists analyzing biopsy samples have found T-cells engaged in an ongoing inflammatory response in the tissue of the nose where smell nerve cells are located, even when the SARS-CoV-2 virus wasn't detected.

Anosmia could be linked to changes in the brain that stops smells from being processed properly, according to a study led by University College London academics published last year. The researchers also found that for long Covid sufferers experiencing smell loss, their brains might be compensating for this by boosting links with other sensory regions, such as parts that process sight.

Given noisy environments and flashing screens can lead to sensory overload for me, perhaps that's why my sense of smell has been affected in certain situations.

The good news for long Covid sufferers is that smell does seem to return, according to Danny Altmann, a professor of immunology at Imperial College London. Some foods can also taste and smell different after getting Covid.

Not all odors have been pleasant. Over the summer, right before a recent long Covid crash, the strong scent of a taxi driver's air freshener in his car made me feel really nauseous, as did the perfume worn by a colleague in the lift. I previously hadn't considered strong odors as one of my triggers for a crash.

It's unclear whether the return of less overpowering scents is a sign that my long Covid is improving. I still struggle with weeknight activities, as well as having the energy to shower after waking up in the morning. But being able to smell coffee and spices again is a joy. I'm keen to find out what other fragrances have been missing in action from my life in recent times. — Lisa Pham

King Charles III has long been an advocate for preserving natural resources and promoting sustainability to tackle climate change.

Now he's putting his money where his mouth is by signing over part of his Sandringham Estate to a private company that will restore its wetlands, meadows and ancient forest over the next 30 years, reports Bloomberg's Natasha White.