© Provided by The Independent A 30-year-old man has filmed himself trying various foods including raw onion, sardines, a shot of lemon juice and baby food to show the effect coronavirus has had on his ability to taste.
After Russell Donnelly, from Jersey City, New Jersey, recently found himself unable to smell or taste, he got a test for coronavirus - which came back positive.
However, according to Donnelly, who spoke to NJ.com, his friends found it hard to believe that he couldn't taste anything, so he decided to show them and others on TikTok by participating in a trend called the "Covid taste test."
Last week, Donnelly uploaded his first tasting video to TikTok, where he explained that his only symptoms are loss of taste and smell.
"What's going on guys, I am currently Covid positive and I can't taste anything. Everyone keeps telling me to try to eat some nasty stuff but I don't have any nasty stuff at my house so I figured I would just eat some stuff that would be strong or pungent," he explained, before biting into a raw red onion like an apple.
After describing the onion as tasting of "nothing," Donnelly then filled a shot glass full of lemon juice, which he also declared tasted of "nothing".
The 30-year-old concluded the taste test with a spoonful of garlic paste, which he also could not taste.
"This is a crazy virus," he said.
The clip has since gone viral on TikTok, where it has been viewed more than 17m times.
"First time I've seen anyone demonstrate the effect," one person commented. "Several people I know that are positive have told me, but damn."
Another said: "Bro this is scary."
Donnelly has since created additional TikTok videos trying other foods such as chicken and gravy baby food, canned sardines and wasabi Oreos, which he said he could "definitely feel in the sinuses".
"Still no flavour in the mouth though," he confirmed.
Loss of taste and smell are commonly reported symptoms of coronavirus, with researchers explaining it is not uncommon for patients with viral upper respiratory infections to experience a temporary or permanent loss of smell or taste.
According to Vanderbilt University's medical centre, the reason is likely because "the virus causes an inflammatory reaction inside the nose that can lead to a loss of the olfactory, or smell, neurons".