I wish I had more knowledge on anosmia as a whole. When I first started out it was clear I couldn’t detect MANY of the various musks. Over time however, I had “learned” how to smell them and some of them I could definitely smell in full, with their nuances. At one point my nose got so strong I could smell things like peoples gum from 30 meters away no problem.
So some of it definitely is learned, but I wonder the effects of a true “will never be able to smell” anosmia, and what that means for isomers, blends, and so on. Almost like explaining a specific color to someone who can’t see a color; I’m scared there’s something I’ll never smell in my life.
When I got COVID, OF COURSE, I lost my smell. Just my luck. It affected the strength I could smell at, as well as the specific molecules I was able to detect before. Now my nose is wonky, I can detect musks just like a year ago, but the anosmia sets in faster. Not only that but much of the isolates I’d been able to smell before smell different. Some of them weak. It’s just what it is.
