Posted on 05/06/2021 10:06:10 AM PDT by RC one
Loss of smell or taste, or both, is common in COVID-19 infected patients, particularly in patients with mild symptoms. Although research has focused on the causes underlying lung infections in COVID-19 patients, the causes of neurological symptoms have remained a mystery.
Researchers have now explained the mechanisms involved in the loss of smell (anosmia) in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 at different stages of the disease, in an article published in Science Translational Medicine, “COVID-19-related anosmia is associated with viral persistence and inflammation in human olfactory epithelium and brain infection in hamsters.”
Using noninvasive nasal brush sampling, scientists at the Institut Pasteur, CNRS, Inserm, University of Paris, and Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris, examined the nasal linings in 11 patients with COVID-19 reporting loss of smell and detected SARS-CoV-2 viral particles and inflammation in several cell types in the lining of the nasal cavity (olfactory neuroepithelium) including sensory neurons. The researchers showed SARS-CoV-2 infects and multiplies in the olfactory epithelium of hamsters and in individuals with COVID-19 for several months after infection.
In four patients that developed persistent loss of smell, the authors detected lasting SARS-CoV-2 presence in the nasal mucosa, even when the virus RNA could not be detected in nasopharyngeal swabs through routine diagnostic RT-qPCR. This unexpected finding prompted the authors to suggest that diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 by nasal brushing can complement nasopharyngeal swabbing for PCR testing in patients with loss of smell.
The study revealed the step-by-step mechanism of COVID-19-related loss of smell in chronological order. Upon viral infection, the cilia on the surface of sensory neurons disappear. These cilia are slender projections of the cell’s bounding membrane that latch onto odorant molecules and constitute the first step in the perception of smell. The authors showed that SARS-CoV-2 can persist in the nasal sensory neurons in humans for several months after the symptoms of the disease have resolved.
The nasal epithelium is a highly organized bed of flattened cells that makes smelling possible. The authors showed SARS-CoV-2 infection disrupts the organization of the nasal epithelium by inducing programmed cell death (apoptosis).
“We also found that this inflammatory process that takes place in the nasal cavity spreads to the olfactory bulb,” the authors noted. The olfactory bulb constitutes the first cerebral relay station of the olfactory system. These findings are consistent with other studies on deceased patients with COVID-19, where the olfactory bulb shows inflammatory signatures such as microgliosis.
The authors showed SARs-CoV-2 infection of nasal sensory neurons and subsequent infection of the olfactory bulb act as a portal for its entry into more remote regions of the brain such as the brainstem and the cerebral cortex, through a process called “retrograde invasion.”
“The findings we obtained are clinically relevant in the care to patients with COVID-19, since olfactory function loss could be regarded as a sensitive sign of persistent viral infection, and should be considered in-patient management,” the authors noted.
It hit my family in October last year. I had no loss of taste or smell. My daughter lost both for one day and it returned just as quick as it left. My son lost his taste until January and in March started getting his smell back. My daughters fiance lost his taste and smell, the taste came back quickly, but smell still hasn’t returned.
6 months later I still have very minimal sense of smell. I need to practical inhale something with a strong oder to get a whiff.
Eat some Mexican food. You’ll recover in 24 hours.
I lost my sense of smell eight years ago. Have no idea what caused it. It comes back for a few seconds every once in a while, but, yeah...
Anyone else know someone who had this happen, but was able to correct it? I sure would like to smell my wife’s perfume again. ...and my smoker!
My mother was standing up on her wagon when she was a young child and a boy pulled the wagon out from under her. She went flying backwards out of the wagon and struck her head on the sidewalk and lost her sense of smell forever. He went on to work for the city. I worked with him for a summer when I was working my way through college. He said didn’t remember doing it. small town stuff.
That sucks! I bet if you could go back to their age, and stop it from happening, and maybe even punch his azz in the nose for GP, you’d do it, huh? I would!
if only.
I have several friends who lost smell and taste. I offered to give the others a post-pinto bean meal ‘Covid Test.’ No takers.
Thanks. I made a mistake when I said it escaped in October. That was when the Chinese actually noticed. It definitely is a bioweapon but I believe it was released prematurely.
Why infect your own people when they are the engine that makes the communist party leadership rich beyond belief? I think they were going to release it sometime in 2020 but closer to the election.
The above relates to that orange peel thread. This next is one the role of inflamation.
the orange peel thread got deleted and I am too lazy to do it again
I will try it if I get the problem
No prob. Just thought that your thread was fascinating, and wanted to make sure you saw those links in case you’d find them of interest.
The reason I’m interested is that I know a few people who’ve lost their sense of smell. I’m really hoping that the eggheads can find something that works to restore it.
I’m also wondering if early treatment with a therapeutic, which none of the people I know with anosmia got, would less the risk of developing it, or lessen its severity if you do.
they should give the burnt orange thing a try. it probably doesnt help all but it might help some.
cant hurt to try. I dont let the medical profession sway me anymore with their “no” or “ no evidence” or “cant possibly be”
There is a poster here who is familiar with their mindset. She hasnt posted in some time
She told me that Chinese wouldnt think twice about killing their own people in their pursuit of world domination. She used the word “han.
FWIW, folks should still talk to their docs first, I think. Hopefully there are still some who honor the spirit of the Hypocratic Oath.
I was wondering about orange peel pickles.
Candied peel might be a bad idea, not only for diabetics, but because sugar promotes inflamation.
here is the guy doing it
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ikrd/viral-tiktok-covid-orange-taste-smell
not sure how you do it if you dont have a gas stove or an outside grill
i kind of want to try this trick just to see what it does if you dont have covid.
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