Pastor Greg Laurie of Harvest Christian Fellowship revealed about the lingering loss of smell following his recovery from COVID-19 infection.
In an interview with The Christian Post (CP) for his new book, the pastor shared some developments in his ministry and personal life, including his experience of contracting the virus.
He was diagnosed with COVID-19 after attending the White House nomination ceremony for Amy Coney Barrett in September last year. Former President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, have also tested positive then.
He only suffered a mild case of COVID, experiencing fatigue, congestion and fever. The fatigue took him a bit longer to recover but the fever only lasted a short time.
The pastor stated that he has already recovered from the disease. However, his loss of smell lingers.
"I got over that actually quite a long time ago, but the one lingering effect that I still have to this day is that I've lost my sense of smell, and I've not regained it again. You miss out on a lot when you can't taste the flavor of food. So I'm hoping that will return to me, but I'm doing fine, and I feel really good," he said.
CP noted the findings of Baylor University (BU) about the disease's lingering effect.
"In most cases, smell loss is temporary, but it can take months or even years to recover. If you have any type of smell at all, it's a sign that your olfactory nerve is still working," Dr. Tran Locke, BU's otolaryngology professor, stated.
Dr. Locke added that losing the sense of smell can also lead to losing the sense of taste since both senses are linked closely.
The American Academy of Neurology said that according to their recent study, which was released last February, people infected with COVID-19 may lose their senses of smell and taste for up to five months.
Pastor Laurie also told CP about his church. He observed that many of his members still choose to stay at home even after they have reopened. But he said that attendance has been "growing steadily" each week. They are currently holding indoor and outdoor services in their campuses in Riverside and Orange County, as well as in Maui. He is hoping that more of his congregants would resume attending church services.
Finally, the pastor shared about his new book, "Billy Graham: The Man I Knew," set for release next Tuesday. The book tells about his description of Mr. Graham, having been his friend for more than 30 years and served on the late evangelist's ministry for over two decades.
"A man like Billy Graham doesn't come around every day. He was uniquely chosen by God to reach multiple generations. I'm thankful that I had the privilege of knowing him. But when it's all said and done, he was a man like anyone else. He put his pants on one leg at a time. He was thankful to the Lord for being called, and he was faithful to the end," the pastor concluded.
