Special Issue 1 (Covid-induced nasal desensitization mechanism and physiology)
Mechanisms of olfactory dysfunction due to COVID-19
2022 Volume 53 Issue 2 Pages 141-146
Details
2022 Volume 53 Issue 2 Pages 141-146
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has infected over 215 million people, producing an average lethality of 2.1% worldwide. Olfactory dysfunction is one of the first and most common symptoms of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). The proposed mechanism underlying this SARS-CoV-2-induced olfactory dysfunction involves severe damage and impairment of the olfactory epithelium (OE); previous data using animal models indicates apoptosis and desquamation of the entire OE, including olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs). While the damaged OE is gradually restored in the animal study, many COVID-19 survivors clinically continue to suffer from central nervous system (CNS) symptoms such as depression and memory impairment, as well as chronic olfactory dysfunction in some cases. This review explained the normal anatomy and function of olfaction. In addition, we would share the mechanism of olfactory disorder due to SARS-CoV-2 infection.
