A socio-anthropological study about perception

the experience of interruption of smell and taste in the context of Covid-19

Abstract

The article focuses on the bodily experiences of the interruption of taste and smell — anosmia — caused in people affected by SARS-CoV-2, contaminated with Covid-19. Impacting the body, anosmia appeared as one of the most characteristic symptoms of Covid-19 in its first wave and was identified in 86% of people infected by the new coronavirus. The experience of the interruption of the senses affected bodily sensations, but also people considering two aspects: I) the fact that the absence of these senses attested to infection by the new coronavirus and consequently threatened life itself; II) uncertainty about the return to normality. The method used to produce the data was subdivided into two stages: the first, with the purpose of segmenting and locating the object of study, started with the application of an online questionnaire sent through digital media and a network of research professionals linked to the authors. From this stage, 35 responses were collected; the second, the narrative journey was explored, based on a semi-structured script, of three people who experienced the interruption of their senses of smell and taste. The characteristics of the interviewees' profile are common: they are from the Northeast region, have not lost close relatives to Covid-19 at the time of the interview and have a postgraduate level of education. Shock appears as a category observed in four moments of impact with the new coronavirus: I) information shock, media shock; II) contagion; III) interruption; IV) return.