Diana Selic’s hands knead dough with muscle memory honed over decades, but her nose tells a different story. The 45-year-old Serbian-born baker, who built her life in Lyon’s vibrant culinary scene, has spent three years navigating a flavorless world after contracting COVID-19 in 2021. Her battle with parosmia – distorted smell and taste perception – reveals the hidden toll of long COVID on professionals who rely on sensory precision.
The Scent of Memory
‘I can’t detect burnt pastries anymore. Vanilla smells like cleaning chemicals,’ Selic told myglobalnews.net. Once able to identify 40+ spices blindfolded, she now uses timers and staff feedback to maintain quality at her bakery. Research shows 5% of COVID survivors experience prolonged smell/taste dysfunction, per JAMA Otolaryngology.
Global Workforce Impact
Selic’s story mirrors challenges faced by chefs, sommeliers, and fragrance experts worldwide. The World Health Organization estimates 17 million Europeans developed long COVID symptoms in 2020-2021. Sensory disorders often lead to career pivots – but Selic persists through neuroplasticity training, sniffing essential oils daily to ‘rewire’ neural pathways.
‘Food was my love language,’ she reflects. ‘Now I bake by memory and hope.’ Her resilience spotlights pandemic aftershocks reshaping lives across industries.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
