Associate Professor of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology of the Ural State Medical University Ksenia Kartashova told the Russian newspaper why the sense of smell disappears with coronavirus.
According to her, when infected with COVID, the virus affects the cells that feed the respiratory-olfactory neurons.
“If neurons are deprived of these helper cells, they cease to function normally and recognize odors,” Kartashova noted.
Also, according to her, patients who had a hard time with the coronavirus had changes in the hippocampus.
“I must say, the entire chain of smell perception passes near the hippocampus, which is why certain smells cause a persistent emotional memory in us. Therefore, disorders in this area of the brain can also cause a distorted perception of odors, ” the doctor concluded.
In July, an employee of Novosibirsk State University reported that now there are fewer people who have impaired sense of smell and taste, gastrointestinal symptoms are more common. This is due to the spread of the delta strain.
According to the WHO, now the mutation “delta” is found on the territory of 142 countries.