A Harrogate woman whose sense of taste and smell has not recovered since she caught covid in March has said the creation of a long covid clinic in Harrogate offers "light at the end of the tunnel".

Daniela Stockmann believes she caught covid the week before lockdown in March. Ms Stockmann is a young and active woman but says covid left her breathless.

At first, it felt like flu but then she lost her sense of taste and smell and began to struggle breathing.

In March she experienced severe pain, which she says "felt like my senses burnt away".

Almost nine months on, Miss Stockmann still hasn't fully regained her senses or energy. She can't smell candles and a variety of foods are either tasteless or have a "rotten and chemical" taste. She added:

Simple ingredients, such as garlic, onions and peppers have been removed from Ms Stockmann's diet as she tries to learn more about her long-lasting symptoms.

Miss Stockmann also suffers from irritable bowel syndrome and says coronavirus has added to the list of foods she cannot eat, which has caused her to lose weight.

She said:

Read more:

• Today, the Harrogate district has recorded its highest number of covid cases since the start of the pandemic.


• Another Harrogate woman said her covid symptoms lasted months.

She is a member of several online forums and has discovered other long covid sufferers with similar symptoms. She hopes her story will encourage others to speak out and understand how serious coronavirus can be for all ages.

Ms Stockmann doesn't know how long her symptoms will last but hopes if she is referred to the clinic by her GP she will find answers.