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Review
. 2022 Mar:75:103352.
doi: 10.1016/j.amsu.2022.103352. Epub 2022 Feb 11.

Olfactory dysfunction as a post-infectious symptom of SARS-CoV-2 infection

Banw Anwar Othman  1 , Sazan Qadir Maulud  2 , Paywast Jamal Jalal  3 , Saman Muhsin Abdulkareem  2 , Jivan Qasim Ahmed  4 , Manish Dhawan  5   6 , Priyanka  7 , Om Prakash Choudhary  8
Affiliations
Review

Olfactory dysfunction as a post-infectious symptom of SARS-CoV-2 infection

Banw Anwar Othman et al. Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2022 Mar.

Abstract

The unexpected onset smell and taste disability was being recognized as a COVID-19 related symptom. Loss of smell might occur alone or be followed by other COVID-19 symptoms, such as a dry cough, fever, headache, and shortness of breath. Other virus infections have been linked to anosmia (parainfluenza, rhinovirus, SARS, and others), affecting up to 20% of the adult population, which is much less common than SARS-CoV-2 infection. A hypothesis about the pathophysiology of post-infectious olfactory loss is that viruses could make an inflammatory response of the nasal mucosa or directly damage the olfactory neuroepithelium. However, in patients with COVID-19, loss of smell may occur without other rhino logic symptoms or suggestive nasal inflammation. According to evidence, anosmia-related SARS-CoV-2 could be a new viral syndrome unique to COVID-19. Furthermore, through experimental intranasal inoculation in mice, SARS-CoV-2 can be inoculated into the olfactory neural circuitry. This disease has not had the required focus, most likely because it is not life-threatening in and of itself. Though patients' quality of living is significantly reduced as their olfactory ability is lost, resulting in lowering and inadequate appetite, excessive or unbalanced food consumption, as well as an overall sense of insecurity. This review aims to give a quick overview of the latest epidemiological research, pathological mechanisms for the dysfunction of smell, and taste in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. In addition, the initial diagnosis and treatment options for dysfunction are also discussed.

Keywords: COVID-19; Olfactory dysfunction; SARS-CoV-2; Smell loss; Taste loss.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
A sagittal view of the respiratory tract beside olfactory, respiratory, and squamous mucosa is shown in this diagram.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The expression of ACE-2 and TMPRSS is shown in a schematic showing the essential structure of the respiratory and olfactory epithelium.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
The olfactory epithelium serves as a neural path for SARS-CoV-2 infection.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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