Is COVID Tongue About to Sweep Utah?

COVID Tongue is the unwanted pandemic party favor.

Have you experienced COVID tongue? If not, you might be in for a strange surprise!

Rumor has it there's a new variant sweeping through Nevada and heading straight for Utah, bringing with it a peculiar symptom known as COVID tongue. So, what exactly is COVID tongue, and how do you know if you have it?

Recently, my family has been dealing with what seems like a round of COVID. Despite negative results from the home tests (which, let’s be honest, aren’t always the most reliable), the list of symptoms we’re experiencing would fit an informative pamphlet. And wouldn’t you know it, my tongue fits the description of COVID tongue perfectly.

So, what is COVID tongue?

Imagine your tongue deciding it needs a vacation burning, swelling, redness, a change or loss of taste, and a smoothness due to losing those tiny bumps known as papillae (or taste buds). Yep, that’s COVID tongue in a nutshell.

Here’s a quick rundown of the symptoms:
- Burning
- Swelling
- Redness
- Change or loss of taste
- Smoothness

Unfortunately, there’s only one known cure for COVID tongue: time. While it’s reassuring to know that this symptom is temporary, it does mean you’ll need to be patient and let the swelling take its course.

Read More: Summer COVID: CDC Says Utah Cases Likely Growing

Right now I wish I could just release my tongue and let it have some fresh air, it just feels stuffy and irritated.

So, Utah, stick out your tongues. At least it’s just an annoying symptom and not life-threatening, for now.