A new study provides answers to questions that have baffled scientists about the relationship between loss of smell and the long-term coronavirus.
In the study published in the journalTranslational medicine sciences“The virus launches a continuous attack on the immune system and nerve cells in the nose, which reduces the number of those nerve cells and causes a decreased sense.
Many people who experience a change in their sense of smell during the acute phase of a viral infection regain their senses within a week or two, but some don’t, says neurobiologist Bradley Goldstein of Duke University in North Carolina.
“We need to better understand why this subset of people will continue to have persistent anosmia months to years after infection with the virus.”
The team studied nasal tissue samples taken from 24 people, including nine who suffered from long-term loss of smell after being infected with Corona.
Researchers have noted the widespread presence of lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell that helps the body fight infection. However, these cells appear to do more harm than good and damage olfactory tissues.
The researchers suggest that these biological mechanisms may also underlie other symptoms of prolonged corona, including excessive fatigue, shortness of breath, and “brain fog” that makes it difficult to focus.
The team look for the findings to pave the way for the development of possible treatments for those suffering from long-term loss of the sense of smell.
