Why do some COVID-19 patients experience loss of taste?

The taste buds located on the tongue contain angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), through which the coronavirus enters cells, bioRxiv portal reported.

As the authors of the study explained, when infected with coronavirus, taste cells can also be affected. This explains the fact that COVID-19 patients complain of loss of taste or change in taste.

Experts at the US National Institute on Aging, led by Josephine Egan, compared the feelings of people with coronavirus infection and the state of their taste buds during illness and six months after recovery. It can take weeks for taste stem cells to recover in recovering patients, scientists say.

According to scientists, the information received that COVID-19 enters the body through receptors can help in the development of treatments for people who have a long-term loss of taste after coronavirus.