PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — One of the most common side effects of COVID-19 infection — and certainly one of the most widely discussed — is loss of smell, which can last weeks, months or longer.
Researchers have looked at genetic causes and can’t rule them out, but scientists at Harvard discovered the virus attacks nerves that support the cells that allow us to smell, called olfactory nerves. These supporting cells are called sustentacular cells, and the evidence suggests the virus attacks these cells.
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There is good news: About 95% of people regain a sense of smell in weeks or months as the sustentacular cells heal. Therapy, called olfactory training, is available for others.
KYW Newsradio’s Medical Reports are sponsored by Independence Blue Cross.