According to reports and studies coming from several countries around the world, many of those recovering from the Corona virus may continue to display the loss of their senses of smell and taste even following recovery for several months.
It is said that mutant omicronCurrently prevalent around the world, in most cases, it does not lead to a loss of sense of smell and taste, but rather its symptoms are mild, similar to those of the flu.
In an attempt to explain the loss of the senses of smell and taste following infection with corona, scientists have come up with a “genetic factor”, which may direct the way towards finding the appropriate treatment for this symptom, which may last for a long time.
expressive
And a report by NBC News quoted the American “NBC News” from a study published in the journal “Nature Genetics” that “regarding six months following contracting the disease, 1.6 million people in the United States are still unable to smell or have experienced a change in their their ability to smell.
The scientists, who worked on the study organized by the company Genomics and Biotechnology, and included participants from the United States and Britain, believe that the exact reason behind the loss of senses is caused by damage to affected cells in a part of the nose called the olfactory epithelium.
“How do we go from infection to loss of smell? It’s still not clear,” said Dr. Justin Turner, assistant professor of otolaryngology at Vanderbilt University who was not part of the study.
“Early data suggests that the virus hits the supporting cells of the olfactory epithelium, leading to the death or damage of neurons in them, but we don’t really know why this happens in certain people.”
According to the study, sensory loss is linked to the location of the olfactory and taste genes on the chromosome.
This genetic risk factor increases the likelihood of a person infected with the virus experiencing a loss of smell or taste by 11%.
Some estimates suggest that 4 out of 5 COVID-19 patients regain these senses.
Among a group of 69,841 people who reported receiving a positive result for a coronavirus test, 68% reported a loss of smell or taste.
After comparing the genetic differences between those who lost their sense of smell and those who reported not, the study team found a region of the genome (the genome) linked, specifically the UGT2A1 and UGT2A2 genes.
expressive
To use these findings to develop a treatment, scientists need to learn more regarding how these genes are expressed and what their functions are in activating the senses.
In this context, the study showed that women are 11% more likely than men to lose their senses of smell and taste. Meanwhile, adults between the ages of 26 and 35 make up 73% of this group.
وتسبّب Corona virus has killed at least 5,537,051 people in the world Since it appeared in China in December 2019.
The United States recorded the highest number of deaths from the virus, with 850,605 cases, followed by Brazil (621,045), India (486,451) and Russia (321,990).
The World Health Organization estimates that the total number of deaths may be two to three times higher, taking into account the excess number of epidemic-related deaths.