Harvard Scientists Explain Why Coronavirus Virus Patients Can’t Smell

Delhi: Coronavirus enters in our body through nose, mouth and eyes. They are capable of attacking our nose cells directly and hence some COVID-19 patients loose their smelling capability in the initial stage. It is further researched by Havard Medical School Researchers.

The researchers have studied some of the data and come to conclude that corona virus can attack the nose cells behind walls that are probably made of protein. However, infections of cells in nose may directly or indirectly decrease the capacity of smell. They also said the same in a published article on Saturday.

Well, many patients have complained about smell and taste. In some patients this issue was normal and in some patients this issue was of complete lost of smell and taste. In medical terms loss of smell is called anosmia and loss of taste is called dysgeusia. On March 22, the American Academy of Otolaryngology, or head and neck surgery, said that these are significant symptomps in corona pandemic.

In addition, these symptoms are added in the list of COVID-19 screening list and if a person is diagnosed with one or more symptoms from the list, must get checked for COVID-19.

David Brann and Sandeep Robert Datta of the Harvard Medical School’s neurobiology department said, Inflammation in the nasal cavity triggered by the pandemic-causing infection may hinder the sense of smell. But it’s also possible the virus infects and damages cells in the nasal epithelium required for normal olfactory function.

“Furthermore, patients with persistent olfactory dysfunction are at risk of nutritional deficits, of injury due to the inability to smell ‘danger’ odors like smoke, gas and spoiled foods, and of developing psychiatric disorders, particularly depression,” they said.