Study of nose and throat reveals why people with COVID-19 may lose their sense of smell

(European Lung Foundation) Researchers studying tissue removed from patients noses during surgery believe they may have discovered the reason why so many people with COVID-19 lose their sense of smell, even when they have no other symptoms.In their experiments they found extremely high levels of angiotensin converting enzyme II (ACE-2) only in the area of the nose responsible for smelling. This Enzyme is thought to be the 'entry point' that allows coronavirus to get into the cells of the body and cause an infection.
Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases - Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news