Dry nose may be an early warning sign of infection with the Coronavirus

The importance of early identification of asymptomatic infection

Changes in the sense of taste and smell are thought to be present in about 80% of cases COVID-19 In Europe, this evolution is likely related to the virus’ entry into the epithelial cells carrying angiotensin II (ACE2), Including the olfactory epithelium in the upper part of the nasal cavity.

future ACE2 It is the site where the virus’s spiny protein gains entry into the host cell to start viral replication, and this development can be related to damage to the nasal and brain cells.

Reducing mucus can also cause a strange sensation in the nasal cavity, in which case this could be a precursor to a virus COVID-19 Earlier than other symptoms, the current study sought to determine whether these changes might be related to other symptoms that could explain them.

Researchers explored nasal symptoms in a group of 35 patients, including only those that could cause significant disturbances in olfactory function.

Unusual nasal symptoms

They found that nearly 70% of the patient group said they had one or more nasal symptoms, including a “strange sensation in the nose,” which is nearly 37 times more than the control group.

More than 60% said they felt abnormal dryness in the nose versus about 15% of the control group. In addition, more than half of the patient group said they felt as if a strong nasal lotion was used, while only one member of the control group reported This sensation makes the patient group 32 times more likely to have these symptoms.

In the patient group, nasal symptoms appeared mostly during the same period in which the sense of smell and taste changed, or before the latter began, and the average period of these symptoms was 12 days, on average, compared to 5 days in the control group.

Overall, about 85% and 80% of patients had problems with loss of smell and taste, respectively, which is consistent with other reports on the topic.

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