The Potential Cause of Long-Term Smell Loss in COVID-19 Patients Discovered

The Potential Cause of Long-Term Smell Loss in COVID-19 Patients Discovered

Loss of smell is a common symptom of COVID-19, with many patients experiencing it when they are infected with the virus. However, while most patients recover their sense of smell within a few weeks, some experience it for months or even years. Now, researchers at Duke University Medical Center in the US have discovered a potential cause of the long-term smell.

1. Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have discovered a potential cause of long-term smell loss in COVID-19 patients.
2. Loss of smell is a common symptom of COVID-19, but while most patients recover their sense of smell within a few weeks, some experience it for months or even years.
3. The researchers studied nasal tissue samples from 24 patients, 9 of whom were suffering from long-term smell loss.
4. They found that T-cells, a type of white blood cell, were triggering an inflammatory response in the olfactory epithelium, the area at the top of the nasal cavity where nerve cells process smells.
5. The inflammation was continuing despite the absence of detectable SARS-CoV-2 virus.
6. The researchers believe this ongoing immune response in the nose may be responsible for long-term smell loss and suggest similar mechanisms may be at play for other symptoms of long COVID, such as brain fog, shortness of breath, and fatigue.
7. The team is hopeful that modulating the abnormal immune response or repair processes within the nose of these patients could help to restore a sense of smell.

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#LongTermSmellLoss

#ImmuneResponse

#NerveCells

#OlfactoryEpithelium

#Inflammation

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#SmellRestoration

#BrainFog

#ShortnessOfBreath

#Fatigue

#DukeUniversityMedicalCenter