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Since millions of people in Italy have had Sars-CoV-2 virus infection, science is focusing more and more attention not only on the possible cures of new cases, but also on the distant sequelae that the picture can entail on the organism. In short, we try to understand the secrets of post-Covid.
And since one of the most classic signs is loss of smell, or rather anosmia, which is often associated with the decline in taste (ageusia). Understanding what happens in the perception of odors is fundamental. On this front, however, there is good news.
If the recovery of this sense does not occur sooner, it seems that within twelve months, even in the most serious cases, the ability to perceive odors returns as before. To say it is a research that appeared on Jama Network Open according to which almost all subjects (in the study speak of 96%), have a sort of Complete olfactory “rehabilitation”.
What the virus is doing
In some cases, after Sars-CoV-2 infection, the ability to smell is lost, almost always for a few days. Why is all this happening? Probably a virus-induced inflammation of the peripheral nervous system comes into play, thus with a temporary impact on the perception of odors. A very plausible hypothesis is that the virus can go back to the brain even regardless of the areas in which it develops, such as the respiratory tree, from which this sort of “ascent” could then begin.
For this, in practice, a mechanism of this type would occur: the virus inserts itself along the nerve pathways of the sense of smell, which start right inside the nose. Then, passing through a thin bone that is somehow all “pitted” like the emmenthal (through these holes pass the nerve pathways) it could arrive along this road up to the brain.
Obviously this “way” from the neurological point of view is the same that characterizes the olfactory perceptions up to the point where the olfactory area is reached, which is located in the anterior part of the brain.
Furthermore, there is a profound correlation between smell and taste: normally, when we bring a food to our mouth, we are able to recognize it precisely because the smell, both through the nose and also through the mouth, allows us to identify it. But as soon as the taste buds start working as they should, we have the opportunity to confirm our hypothesis with the taste as well. This is why smell and taste work together in our everyday life, fitting perceptions into a sort of “puzzle” that allows us to enjoy the pleasures of good food and to smell the aromas of the kitchen.
What the research says
The study, conducted in France, examined about fifty people who had a diagnosis of anosmia linked to Covid-19, following them for a year. To objectively analyze the situation, a particular test was used that focuses precisely on the possibility of capturing the olfactory sensations.
Over time, a return to normality has progressively been observed, also considering the independent assessments of people which in some cases may however be unreliable and which have therefore been integrated with the data collected through specific tests. Well, after a year only two people continued to have olfactory problems, also linked to the presence of incorrect olfactory sensations.
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