Fascinating. The implicated gene family matches the subjective experience of the olfactory system damage. Specifically, it seems that while the smells are all "there" (presumably corresponding to intact olfactory neurons), odors associated with complex and toxic sources (e.g. various kinds of smoke) can overwhelm the olfactory system, resulting in a kind of noisy image. A hypothesis the support cells that should be helping to process the odorant molecules are reduced in number and/or efficiency after infection. Some people have more robust UDP glucuronosyltransferase gene copies, helping them to overcome this more easily. This might explain why nasal washes can help some.
You probably get into this in the preprint. I'll have a read before I prognosticate further!
It would be interesting to look at the gene family in the HPRC.
You probably get into this in the preprint. I'll have a read before I prognosticate further!
It would be interesting to look at the gene family in the HPRC.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/10941