Hi, Thanks for the query. I understand your concern. * Loss of sense of taste. after viral fever can be due to damage to normal bacterial flora of mouth cavity ( lactobacilli ), leading to pathological organisms to supervene & taste buds get involved in the infection to cause loss of taste/ many a times sense of taste is really depends on sense of smell,, so involvement of nasal mucus membrane in viral infection can give block of smell & there fore taste also. Whatever way it is lack of taste is a temporary symptom & goes after recovery from viral infection. Supplements of vitamin B complex or Lactobacilli/ saline nasal drops do help in recovery. * viral fevers with viral of common cold many a times causes inflammation of nasal mucosa & there is impaired smell as well as allergy or inflammation of ear .. leading to phantom smell -which is described as an olfactory hallucination( smell being the function of nose.. swelling of ear gives a phantom feeling of smell which is not there ( with you it is a smell of smoke ) With viral fever it is a short term symptoms & returns back to normal as viral infection resolves. saline nasal drops help. If it persists beyond few weeks consultation of an ENT surgeon to exclude / confirm nasal polyps is advised. Thanks