Can the taste and smell "stolen" by the new crown virus return?

Can the taste and smell "stolen" by the new crown virus return?

"I can't smell anything for the past 4 days." On March 23, the 27-year-old French player of the American Professional Basketball League (NBA), Gobert, wrote on Twitter. He was the first NBA player to be detected with a new crown virus, and he believes it is the culprit that caused him to lose his sense of taste and smell.

Coincidentally, Doris, the British Undersecretary of Health who has also been infected with the new crown virus, has stated that he has lost his sense of smell and taste at the same time, and tweeted that he can only distinguish whether food is cold or hot. In fact, in South Korea, Germany, the United States, and other countries, symptoms of infection, deterioration, and even loss of taste are frequently reported.

Is this a new symptom of a new crown virus infection? What causes people to lose their sense of taste and smell? Can the lost taste and smell be cured?

Obstacles can be caused by multiple reasons

Are taste, loss of smell, or decline a new symptom of neocoronavirus infection? No international conclusions have been made yet.

On March 21, Hopkins, chairman of the British Rhinology Association, and Kumar, chairman of the British Ear, Nose and Throat Society (ENT UK), posted on the ENT UK website that there is new evidence that olfactory loss is one of the symptoms of new crown infection. They are currently briefing UK public health authorities on the loss of smell.

The article said: "Ample evidence from South Korea, China and Italy indicates that a significant number of people with new crown infections have developed symptoms of loss or decline of smell. It is reported that more than two-thirds of confirmed cases in Germany have an olfactory disorder. Testing in South Korea The scope is broader, with about 30% of mild cases mainly manifested as loss of smell. "

Recently, related symptoms have been reported in China. On March 26, according to the CCTV Chinese International Channel report, out of more than 200 confirmed cases in Taiwan, five imported cases had loss of taste and smell. However, the Taiwan Epidemic Epidemic Command Center is relatively conservative and cautious, saying that these symptoms were relatively rare before, and clinicians have been reminded to pay special attention. The center's epidemic surveillance team leader Zhou Zhihao said that whether the loss of taste and smell was caused by the new crown virus infection remains to be verified.

In fact, loss of taste, smell, or decline can be caused by a variety of reasons. Qin He, deputy chief physician of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery at Beijing Tsinghua Chang Gung Hospital, said in an interview with Science and Technology Daily that the most common cause of adult olfactory disorders is upper respiratory infections such as colds, flu, pneumonia, etc. The viruses that cause these diseases can temporarily Sexual or permanent damage to the olfactory epithelium of the olfactory area, can also damage the olfactory sensory pathways and higher cortical areas, causing hyposmia or loss of smell, which is why some people experience a decrease or loss of smell when they have a cold. After healing, some people's olfactory recovery, and some people's olfactory recovery is not completely recovered.

"Secondly, obstructions and inflammatory diseases in the nasal cavity, such as allergic rhinitis, nasal polyps, and sinusitis, can lead to reduced stimulation of the olfactory sensation area to the outside world, and there can be reduced smell. In addition, head trauma, intracranial and nose Internal tumors, nasal surgery, some chemicals and aging are also the causes of olfactory loss or loss. "Qin He pointed out that by the same token, taste disorders can also be caused by a variety of reasons such as viral infection, tongue disease and trauma.

More than one cause of a disease, which is why Zheng Chunquan, chief physician of rhinology at Shanghai Fifth Surgery Hospital, and Eric, chief of otolaryngology at Boston Hospital, Massachusetts, and many other physicians believe that the relationship between the new crown virus and loss of taste and smell needs further investigation .

High cure rate for viral infections

Smell and taste are important physiological functions of human beings. According to Qin He, normal sense of smell and taste can play a role in identifying, alerting, and increasing appetite. Losing the sense of smell and taste will not only affect people's emotions, but also affect nutrient food intake. It will also cause a lot of inconvenience to life, affect social interaction, and even threaten life safety in severe cases.

Therefore, whether or not neo-pneumocoronary pneumonia is "true murder", whether patients can "recover" the lost taste and smell is undoubtedly the topic that people are most concerned about.

"For olfactory disorders with a clear etiology, we mainly take corresponding treatment measures for the primary disease." Qin He said that olfactory disorders caused by nasal obstruction or inflammatory diseases, through the treatment of primary diseases, such as drugs and surgery Treatment, you can get more ideal results. There is a high cure rate for olfactory and taste disorders caused by viral infections, and some patients will recover without medication. However, some patients will experience permanent loss of smell and taste. This part of the patient can promote the functional recovery of smell and taste through certain drug treatment and olfactory training. However, for senile olfactory and taste disorders, related training has a certain effect, but the prognosis is poor.

There is still uncertainty as to whether the taste and olfactory damage in patients with neocoronavirus infection can be cured. Huang Limin, director of the Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the Hospital Affiliated to Taiwan University Medical College, said in an interview with CCTV reporters that there has been a recovery of taste or smell in cases of new crown virus infection. It is unclear.

Earlier, Jon Lapke, a professor of medicine at New York University School of Medicine, spoke out about the loss of Gobel's taste and smell: "The symptoms may be temporary or permanent. None of this is known. "

Fortunately, on March 27, the NBA Utah Jazz announced that Gobert had recovered. (Intern reporter Yu Ziyue)