If a person lost their sense of taste (Coronavirus, for instance), do they need to say a Bracha on food and drink that has a flavor?
The Shulchan Aruch says in סימן ר"ד סעיף ח - all food and beverages that people consume for healing purposes should be blessed before and after consuming if the taste of the food or beverage is good and the palate enjoys it. This implies from the Shulchan Aruch that if there is no pleasure or benefit from the food or beverages, one should not say a Bracha. However, the Mishna Berurah supposes that it implies that in order not to say a Bracha, it needs to have a bad taste; but if it is tasteless, one should still say a Beracha
The Mishnah Berurah says that if one is swallowing a raw egg, although they didn't benefit from the taste, it still fills their stomach, and therefore they should say a Bracha. This opinion was quoted by שערי תשובה אות י"ז and was also quoted by the כף החיים. This is also the opinion of האגלי טל (מלאכת טוחן אות ס"ב) that the primary benefit that we require to say a Bracha is the benefit of the stomach and not the pleasure of the palate. This is the conclusion of Rav Ovadia as well in his book חזון עובדיה page קנ"ה.
However, the מהרש"ם in his book דעת תורה סימן ר"ד holds that one should not say a Bracha on a raw egg because his palate doesn't enjoy it. This is also the opinion of דברי מלכיאל חלק ה' and the opinion of אבני נזר.
The אבני נזר adds that this question will depend on the argument between the Rishonim wether a person should say a Bracha on oil. The Rambam says that if one is drinking plain oil, he should say Shehakol, whereas Rashi says that one shouldn't say any Bracha, and the אבני נזר explains that the rationale behind this argument is that one should say a Bracha if his stomach benefits and not his palate. The Rambam holds that one says a Bracha when the stomach benefits, and Rashi holds that one says a Bracha when the palate benefits.
Either way we can say that there is a distinction between a raw egg, which one simply swallows, and a case where one doesn't have their sense of taste, since raw egg doesn't please anyone's palate. Therefore we can say that it isn't the normal way if eating. Whereas, regarding other tasty food that everyone finds tasty and enjoyable but this individual finds tasteless, we hold that he should say a Bracha because he is eating the way others normally eat.
Either way, since it is a discussion among the Poskim regarding Brachot, it is better not to say a Bracha but to hear a Bracha from somebody else. One who wants to rely on the lenient opinion can definitely do so and recite a Bracha, even though he doesn't have his sense of taste. A person who gets their food from an IV tube that goes directly to his stomach should not say a Bracha before the intake of the food nor after. Despite the fact that he is receiving multiple benefits from this food, since this is not the way people normally eat, the laws of Brachot do not apply to this individual. If he wants to show appreciation for the food without a Bracha, he can recite verses that contain thanksgiving to Hashem.