A new study from the Regenerative Bioscience Center at the University of Georgia is the first to suggest that COVID-19 does not directly damage taste bud cells.
A new study from the Regenerative Bioscience Center at the University of Georgia is the first to suggest that COVID-19 does not directly damage taste bud cells.
Contrary to previous studies that have shown damage may be caused directly by the virus particle, the researchers, led by Hongxiang Liu, associate professor of animal and dairy science in UGA’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, found that taste loss is likely caused indirectly by events induced during COVID-19 inflammation.
An increasing number of COVID-19 patients have reported losses of smell and/or taste, prompting the CDC to add it to the growing list of symptoms for COVID-19. Recent research shows 20%-25% of patients now report a loss of taste.
“More alarming is the rate of patients reporting loss of taste at a later date, sometime after exposure to the virus,” said Liu. “This is something we need to keep a careful eye on.”
Read more at University of Georgia
Image: Hongxiang Liu, associate professor of animal and dairy science in UGA's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (Credit: UGA)
