For many people who have suffered through COVID-19 this year, one noticeable symptom has been losing their sense of taste and/or smell.
It was this symptom that alerted one TikTokker to the fact she had caught the virus amidst the pandemic, as she filmed a video of her trying a popular new Starbucks coffee.
Maryn Short can be seen going through stages of confusion, panic and subsequent realisation in the now-viral video.
Filming herself buying the coffee which contained whipped cream, five pumps of vanilla syrup, three pumps of caramel syrup, coffee and ice, Short was expecting the drink to be "super sweet".
But on taking a sip Short declares: "This has no flavour".
"Why can't I taste it? Do I have COVID?" she jokes. She then puts a hand to her mouth as the realisation hits her.
"It was almost like I was drinking sweet milk. I could tell it was sweet, but there was no flavour at all," she later told Buzzfeed. "It was really strange. It’s hard to describe."
"I almost was wondering if [the barista] put too much heavy cream in it. And then I really thought about it, and I was like, 'oh my goodness'."
The video has since racked up over 3 million views and 700,000 likes.
According to Buzzfeed, Short works three jobs but has been quarantining at home since learning of her diagnosis.
She has since recorded herself filming other foods, including this pizza which she says she could "faintly" taste.
According to US News and World Report, 86 percent of patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 reported problems with their sense of smell, while a similar percentage had changes in taste perception.
