Scientists discover mechanism behind COVID-induced loss of smell

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Why some people lose their sense of smell after a coronavirus infection has remained a mystery since the virus emerged.

But, findings from a new study show scientists may finally have the answer.  

Loss of smell is tied to COVID-induced damage to a part of the brain responsible for processing smell, the olfactory bulb. 

Between April 2020 and September, researchers at Johns Hopkins University assessed 23 patients who died from COVID-19 and reporting losing their sense of smell while battling the virus. Researchers discovered the pathway of nerves from the olfactory bulb that connect to the nose tissue were severely destroyed. 

These findings were published Monday in JAMA Neurology.

According to a research database out of the United Kingdom, loss of smell occurs in 60% of infected people ages 16 to 65. Long-term COVID-induced smell loss has affected over 1.5 million Americans to date.