Here’s why the coronavirus makes us lose our sense of smell

[Chris Smith]

• One of the strangest coronavirus symptoms is the loss of smell and taste.
• Scientists have explained how the virus infects the olfactory epithelium, revealing that the neurons responsible for sensing are not actually damaged in the process.
• A new report explains that the resulting localized inflammation can lead to residual nerve damage that may prolong anosmia. This explains why survivors take so long to regain their sense of smell.

One of the strangest symptoms associated with the novel coronavirus concerns the sense of smell. Doctors noticed in the first months of the pandemic that some COVID-19 patients complain of a sudden loss of smell and taste, and it became clear that the virus was responsible. Research proved that there is a correlation between the symptom and COVID-19, and anosmia is now a symptom doctors screen for. It's also on the CDC's COVID-19 information pages.

Not all people develop anosmia, however, so the symptom alone isn't enough to confirm a diagnosis. Moreover, not all people recover their smell at the same speed once the disease has run its course. And a new report explains exactly what happens inside the nose once the virus invades.

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Here’s why the coronavirus makes us lose our sense of smell originally appeared on BGR.com on Wed, 24 Jun 2020 at 21:13:30 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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