KONTAN.CO.ID – Jakarta. One of the symptoms of a corona virus attack is a loss of your sense of smell. However, people with influenza also sometimes experience a loss of their sense of smell. How to distinguish the loss of the sense of smell between the symptoms of corona and influenza or a cold?
A new study shows that anosmia or loss of the sense of smell is the most common symptom experienced by coronavirus patients. Findings compiled by researchers in the Office for National Statistics (ONS) also indicate that anosmia not only occurs in symptomatic patients, but also in the asymptomatic group.
“The number of people who tested positive for Covid-19 with symptoms of loss of taste or smell (anosmia) increased the most across all age groups,” the research team wrote in its summary report.
Ear nose and throat specialist (ENT) Hospital Columbia Asia Hospital (RSCA) Prof. Dr. dr Delfitri Munir, Sp.THTKL (K) explained the difference in the loss of the sense of smell between symptoms of corona virus infection and influenza.
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He said the nasal cavity was the most favorite entry point for the corona virus. This is because the virus is transmitted through droplets and airbones. “In this nose, more than 75 percent of the air flow is directed to the roof of the nose. There are the endings of the olfactory nerves or the smell nerves,” Delfitri told Kompas.com, Tuesday (12/1/2020).
“Because the roof of our nose is curved, the particles that are carried away will bump and anchor there,” he continued.
This condition causes the olfactory nerve to be exposed to the corona virus. Due to the nature of the virus damaging cells, causing inflammation, this irritates the olfactory nerves and results in loss of the sense of smell. “This can be temporary or permanent. If the nerve is dead, it can’t be healed again,” he explained.
Meanwhile, the loss of the sense of smell due to colds or influenza is caused by inflammation of the mucous membrane throughout the nose. This makes the nose clogged and unable to breathe air. “Due to inflammation, the air we breathe does not reach the roof of the nasal cavity where the nerve is located, so it closes it,” he said.
“So the airborne particles that carry the smell cannot enter, because the nostrils are closed. If the clogging is gone, you can smell again because the nerves are not disturbed,” he continued.
This condition of the nerves in the nose is what distinguishes the loss of the sense of smell due to the corona virus and the cold. This means that a Covid-19 patient will experience a loss of his sense of smell, but can still breathe air normally.
Meanwhile, the loss of the sense of smell experienced by sufferers of colds or influenza is usually accompanied by disturbances in breathing air.
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