I completely lost taste and smell around 2022 too. It wasn't like a clogged nose, I could absolutely not sense anything with my tongue and nose (except for touch). I read stories about it not coming back for some people and it absolutely shook me. At that moment I realized how much I love delicious food and that smell is a great indicator for things you might not expect (e.g. heat).
It luckily fully came back in my case, but it took many months. But it was properly scary! So weird that a viral infection (that didn't even make me very sick) could have such long-lasting and potentially life-altering effects.
I got covid once back in the summer of '22. I had high fever (40C) for two days but my taste and smell were gone for an entire month. Losing two of my five senses for so long was something I never want to experience again.
It luckily fully came back in my case, but it took many months. But it was properly scary! So weird that a viral infection (that didn't even make me very sick) could have such long-lasting and potentially life-altering effects.