Miwa Takaki
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Kanazawa Medical University.
Brain Nerve. 2022 Jul;74(7):873-878. doi: 10.11477/mf.1416202141.
Olfactory and taste dysfunctions are characteristic symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); however, their frequencies and pathogeneses keep changing because of rapid mutations of the viral strains. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, a receptor for the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 in the olfactory epithelium, is involved in the development of olfactory dysfunction. In general, olfactory dysfunctions resolve in a few weeks. However, there are cases wherein the symptoms persist for several months or longer, and parosmia or phantosmia affects the patient's quality of life. It is also assumed that the damage owing to COVID-19 extends to olfactory nerve cells, resulting in sensorineural olfactory dysfunction similar to post-infectious olfactory dysfunction.
嗅觉和味觉功能障碍是2019冠状病毒病（COVID-19）的典型症状；然而，由于病毒株的快速突变，它们的发生率和发病机制不断变化。血管紧张素转换酶2是严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）刺突蛋白在嗅觉上皮中的受体，参与嗅觉功能障碍的发生发展。一般来说，嗅觉功能障碍在几周内会得到缓解。然而，有些病例症状会持续数月甚至更长时间，嗅觉倒错或嗅觉幻觉会影响患者的生活质量。也有人认为，COVID-19造成的损害会延伸至嗅神经细胞，导致类似于感染后嗅觉功能障碍的感觉神经性嗅觉功能障碍。
