Corona and the five senses ... How is smell, taste, hearing, sight and touch affected?

How does the emerging corona virus, which causes Covid-19 disease, affect the five senses?

What are the latest data on its complications on the senses of smell, taste, hearing, sight and touch?

The answer is here.

1- The sense of smell

The scientific name for the loss of the sense of smell is (Hyposmia), and according to a study, the loss of this sense of 4 smells may indicate infection with the emerging corona virus, and its scientific name is "SARS Cove 2".

The study included 590 participants through an online platform, and they answered questions about loss of smell and taste and other symptoms associated with Covid-19, and was published in the journal "PLOS Medicine".

The researchers generally found that people who notice a loss in their ability to smell scents: garlic, onions, coffee, perfumes, should isolate themselves and request a test to detect the Corona virus.

Loss of smell is one of the first signs of Covid-19 disease, and almost everyone suffers from some degree of loss of smell, according to the Penn Medicine website, a research body at the University of Pennsylvania in the United States.

Viruses, including corona, can affect the sense of smell, because they enter the cells associated with the sense of smell and destroy them.

According to Coffee Medicine, studies conducted at the University of Pennsylvania, in cooperation with other institutions, show that within two to four four weeks, the sense of smell returns in most people who have been infected with the Coronavirus, although it does not reach at that time the level it was before.

About 25% or more of those who experience a loss of smell will suffer in the long term.

The site adds that "we do not know for sure" whether the loss of smell will be permanent, but this is possible in many cases.

9 of the most prominent symptoms of Corona infection (Al-Jazeera)

2- The sense of taste

Data indicate that the Corona virus may lead to a loss of the sense of taste, its scientific name (Hypogeusia), and according to a study published in the scientific journal "PLOS ONE", which included 24 thousand and 410 people infected with the Corona virus, the percentage of suffering from loss of this sense was 4%.

According to a case report published in The BMJ Medical Journal titled "Hypogeusia as the Initial Presenting Symptom of COVID-19), the researchers talked about the case of a woman, who reported The 59-year-old suffers from initial symptoms of a taste disturbance before a respiratory infection.

The researchers said that about a week before the patient was admitted to the hospital, she began experiencing a slight decrease in appetite, and complained that the foods - which she was enjoying - had a weak and metallic taste.

Sense of hearing

Doctors have warned that sudden and permanent hearing loss, although rare, may be related to the Corona virus for some, as the British "first case" was reported in the magazine "BMG".

And this potential side effect of Covid-19 infection was added to the multiple symptoms of the epidemic, according to the journal.

The specialists said - according to a report by the French Press Agency that was reported by Deutsche Welle - that despite the large studies on Covid-19 and the various symptoms associated with the virus, "there is a lack of discussion about the relationship between Covid-19 and hearing."

They called for a screening for hearing loss in the hospital, including intensive care, as it is easily bypassed, to allow for prompt treatment with steroids that provide the best chance of restoring hearing.

So far, few other cases related to hearing loss as a result of COVID-19 infection have been reported, as no case has been reported in the UK, according to these specialists.

Ear, nose, and throat specialists often notice sudden hearing loss, at a rate of 5 to 160 cases per 100,000 cases each year.

The reasons are not clear, except that this sensory deficiency may be due, for example, to clogging of blood vessels, but after a viral infection, such as influenza or herpes viruses.

The authors of the report described the case of a 45-year-old person suffering from asthma and being treated for infection with the Coronavirus in their hospitals.

A ventilator was installed for him in intensive care because he was suffering from difficulty breathing, and he began to improve after receiving remdesivir treatment, intravenous steroids and blood plasma.

A week after his breathing tube was removed and he was discharged from resuscitation, he felt an abnormal ringing in his left ear, followed by sudden hearing loss.

After the examination, it was found that his ear canals were not blocked and not inflamed, and his eardrum was intact.

This was confirmed by a test for hearing loss in his left ear, from which he only partially recovered after treatment with a corticosteroid.

Other possible causes, such as influenza, HIV or rheumatoid arthritis, were excluded, and doctors concluded that hearing loss is associated with the epidemic.

In Thailand, the first case of hearing loss referring to Covid-19 alone was reported in April 2020. Corona virus - which is associated with a specific type of cells lining the lungs - was detected in similar cells in the ear.

This virus also leads to inflammation and an increase in the substances (cytokines) that lead to hearing loss, according to the study authors.

sight

It is believed that there are possible effects of the Corona virus on the eyes and the sense of sight, in rare cases the Corona virus can cause an eye infection called conjunctivitis.

The conjunctiva is a transparent membrane that covers the white of the eye from the outside and lining the eyelids from the inside. It helps in moisturizing the eye by secreting mucus and tear substances, and also helps prevent bacteria from entering it.

And when the conjunctivitis becomes pink or red, it turns pink.

Symptoms include redness and irritation of the conjunctiva, the feeling of something like sand under the eyelids when he blinks his eyes, and the appearance of secretions.

Many forms of conjunctivitis disappear with over-the-counter treatments within one to two weeks.

Viral conjunctivitis can make the eyes watery and make a person feel uncomfortable, rather than pain.

Although conjunctivitis does not usually affect significantly eyesight, but if the pupil and iris (the colored part of the eye) are affected, some blurry vision may occur.

Therefore, conjunctivitis, and the symptoms that follow it, may affect vision, and people with corona are advised to drive cautiously or not drive at all if there is weakness or significant blurring of vision.

Sense of touch

There is not much information about the effect of the Corona virus on the sense of touch, but the available data indicate the possibility of the virus affecting this sense, causing it to reduce a person's sense of touch, "hypoesthesia" or a feeling of numbness (paresthesia).

In a case report that was not subjected to peer review (examination and review by other scientists and researchers) on neurological symptoms with Covid-19 infection, the report spoke of a case of a 31-year-old woman who had neurological manifestations without fever, cough and feeling sick.

She had no known previous illnesses.

And the symptoms began with a burning headache.

The second day, the patient suffered from numbness in the left half of the face and the left arm, and after about 6 hours, the numbness extended to the left leg.

The patient was admitted to the hospital after the numbness increased, and she was examined and found to be infected with the Coronavirus.

On the third day, the patient was discharged home with stable clinical symptoms.

But for 3 weeks there was a decreased sense of touch, "hypoesthesia" and numbness on the left side of the face.

Another report, published in the journal Neurology: Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation, reported on the case of a 69-year-old woman, who was in good health.

She went to the clinic with neck pain, imbalance, movement weakness and numbness in the left hand, which lasted for 7 days.

And 8 days before these symptoms appeared, she had a fever and a dry cough.

The neurological examination showed hypoesthesia in the right side of the face and the left hand, and a pharyngeal swab was performed for the Corona virus, and the result was positive.