Pathology

Neuroscience

Olfactory epithelium

Olfactory bulb

Central nervous system

Biology

Olfaction

Olfactory system

Neuroimaging

Medicine

The Lancet Neurology

The mechanisms by which any upper respiratory virus, including SARS-CoV-2, impairs chemosensory function are not known. COVID-19 is frequently associated with olfactory dysfunction after viral infection, which provides a research opportunity to evaluate the natural course of this neurological finding. Clinical trials and prospective and histological studies of new-onset post-viral olfactory dysfunction have been limited by small sample sizes and a paucity of advanced neuroimaging data and neuropathological samples.

Post-viral effects of COVID-19 in the olfactory system and their implications