Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 16, 2025

Author Spotlight: Assessing the Olfactory Effects of Airborne Pollutants — Buried Food and Social Odor Tests
Published on: September 13, 2024
Potential pharmacologic treatments for COVID-19 smell and taste loss: A comprehensive review
Elnaz Khani1, Sajad Khiali1, Samineh Beheshtirouy1
1Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
Abstract:
The acute loss of taste and smell following COVID-19 are hallmark symptoms that affect 20-85% of patients. However, the pathophysiology and potential treatments of COVID-19 smell and taste loss are not fully understood. We searched the literature to review the potential pathologic pathways and treatment options for COVID-19 smell and taste loss. The interaction of novel coronavirus with ACE-2 receptors expressed on sustentacular cells and taste buds results in direct damage to the olfactory and gustatory systems. Also, the invasion of the virus to the olfactory neurons and consequent local inflammation are other proposed mechanisms. Therefore, COVID-19 patients with smell or taste loss may benefit from neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, or depolarizing agents. Based on the current evidence, phosphodiesterase inhibitors, insulin, and corticosteroids can be promising for the management of COVID-19 smell and taste loss. This review provided crucial information for treating COVID-19-related smell and/or taste loss, urging to perform large clinical trials to find optimum treatment options.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Taste Buds and Receptors
Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure
Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway
The olfactory...
Olfaction
The olfactory receptors are embedded in the cilia of the...
Gustation
The Physiology of Taste

