Coincidence of COVID-19 Infection and Smell—Taste Perception Disorders

Cetinkaya, Erdem Atalay

Many reports by physicians and patients during the 2019 to 2020 pandemic indicate that COVID-19 is associated with elevated levels of odor and taste perception disorders (anosmia, hyposmia, ageusia, and/or dysgeusia). Recent increase in olfactory dysfunction in patients referred to ear nose and throat clinics and COVID-19 infection at the same time encouraged us to examine anosmic/hyposmic patients to establish any association between these signs. It has been shown that the COVID-19 virus exploits the uses angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor to obtain cell entry. This result increases the interest to examine the expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 in neurological tissue, and to assess the possible contribution of damage. This mini review provides fundamental knowledge on coincidence of COVID-19 infection and smell—taste perception disorders from an objective perspective.