Question

Short Answer 3

It has been shown that one of the symptoms of coronavirus is a loss of smell. What are some of the hypotheses for how this loss of smell might be caused? For any of the hypotheses, what are three experiments you would carry out to investigate that hypothesis.

Answer 1

Anosmia, the loss of sense of smell, and ageusia, an accompanying diminished sense of taste, have emerged as peculiar telltale signs of Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, and possible markers of infection. In this regard some of the hypothesis have been made which are mentioned below.

• SARS-CoV-2 could infect the inner lining of the nasal cavity, triggering localized inflammation. Inflammation in the nose can prevent incoming odors from reaching the cells that detect them.
• The virus may penetrate the cibrifrom plate, the bone between nose and the brain, and infiltrate the olfactory bulb, the brain region where cells in the nose send smell information to be processed.
• The virus might specifically target cells in the nose that react to incoming odors. Receptors on these cells serve as docking stations for smelly chemicals, which once bonded to the receptor, jump-start a chemical and electrical reaction that passes information on to the brain. If the cells bearing smell receptors become infected and can't generate signals, a person could temporarily lose their sense of smell.

The hypothesis mentioned are yet to be supported by hard data and therefore, mentioning about several experiments is not suggested. However, a test called as Scratch and Sniff test is being used in order to confirm the effect of coronavirus on the olfaction.