Hamster Study Finds Clues as to Why COVID-19 Causes Loss of Smell

Approximately 30% to 70% of individuals with COVID-19 lose their sense of smell, or anosmia. Researchers have been unsure why this symptom arises after infection with SARS-CoV-2. However, new research on hamsters may provide clues. In the study, published in Cell, Cocoa Krispies were left in the cages of hamsters with COVID-19 and hamsters without infection. The ones with COVID-19 left the Cocoa Krispies alone, thus signifying they had anosmia. When researchers used single-cell sequencing to evaluate the hamsters with COVID-19, they discovered the novel coronavirus created high levels of inflammation in the nasal cavity, profoundly impacting the hamsters’ sense of smell. Click here to read more.