After 2 years of emergency room follow ups for a Covid D diagnosis, and months of ENT visits, no lab work had been ordered for the symptoms I developed within 2 days after testing positive for Covid. Symptoms: yellow coating covering my tongue and loss of smell and taste. My journey began in 2023 with emergency room diagnosis but it also including a surgeon visit to discuss major surgery of the Sphenoid for diagnosed Chronic Spenoid (noted as Coccidioidomycosis in my records). This lead to 2 different head CTS, but again no labs were ever done on the tongue coating or the yellow strands of infections found in my irrigations. Over 24 months, I was given 3 antifungal drugs for thrush, Doxycycline, Meclizine, Fluconazole Nystatin, 4 different events of prescribed antibiotics for 14 days because when one antibiotic failed, they would assign an alternative another 14 days. The first ENT never called back to schedule the major surgery they had recommended via the CT scans, so enter the 2nd ENT who added steroids, then more antibiotics. These added drugs didn't work, and still no labs were done on discharges from nose or the yellow tongue. By now the yellow strands or tubes coming from the nose in irrigation were like a horror story unfolding. I began researching Covid long haulers. That lead to a doctor that treats loss of smell with Stellate Ganglion Block to stimulate the return of smell and taste. With a side effects that might happen being loss of eyelid control or permanent red color of the whites of the eye, the risk was too great. Suggestion from this doctor was he could treat loss of smell and taste but that tongue and discharge thing was not part of this process. Suggested: I might consider minimal invasive surgery to the sinus cavities and see what is living in them. Tongue remained an unknow for all the doctors. After 2 years, I finally asked my PA to do a lab on the tongue. After 7 weeks of studying the scrapes, there was discovery of a fungi but the lab had not been able to determine 'what it was'. That was May 2025 and there was apparently no one at the CDC to do further testing. So, next came my 3rd ENT : very conservative micro surgery was done and this saw 'some' improvements. Within a few months, the yellow drainage was returning but it was on a reduced cycle, not daily, so again the nose would drain and hit the tongue which was again coated and the taste, smell were still gone. By the end this 24 month journey I asked my PA to do blood work as I felt I was dying from the inside. I was: Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infection. Too many antibiotics over 2 years. Now I had a bigger issue than loss of smell and taste and a burning yellow coated tongue with sinus drainage. Nearly fainted to hear treatment for C.diff is another biotic, but I had no choice as C.diff kills from the inside out if left untreated. I put mystery with my tongue and nose discharged on hold to treat C.diff. Recently, as if a miracle was unfolding in my life, during a visit to a dermatologist to treat a new issue which was rosacea of my nose, I was asked if I was a Covid Long Hauler. I guess I am. She was also and she saw symptoms in me that she knew well. The questions began: did I have any issues with my smell or taste. Yes, I do. She asked me if I had tried the nicotine patches. I started to laugh. At this point why not laugh, I can't smell or taste anything. She spent the next hour of her own time with her story of Covid as a Long Hauler. She said for $30 at a local drug store I could try the patches, what do you have to lose. The 7mg patch was what she needed and her taste came back on day 3 and it's been years now with her smell and her taste intact. Mine came back after 7 days. As for my tongue coating, it's taking a little bit longer to treat. I've been on 3 different 5 days patch schedules. Put it on under my chin in morning and remove before bed. I allow 10 days between schedules; or 5 days on for 12 hours then 10 days off. I have had no side effects as I still to the rules, do not use for more than 10-12 hours for 7 days, and don't sleep with it on. My taste has returned and so has my smell. The tongue is still irritated having been so swollen for 2 years, but it's getting better. If I understand the science of why this is working for me, low dose nicotine, in this pure form without any other chemicals like are found in cigarettes or 'chews' that do harm the body, targets a protein tied to Covid and the loss of smell and taste. I put the patch as close as possible to the area most symptomatic and I do not have any allergic reaction to the tape or the dose of 7mg of nicotine. Have a discussion with your Covid doctors to see if this is something that might bring you relief. My ENT is thrilled and at the same time amazed.