Modern methods of diagnosis and treatment of patients with COVID and post-COVID anosmia

Abstract

Since 2019, the interest in coronavirus infection has increased worldwide due to the emergence of several pandemic outbreaks associated with this group of pathogens. In total, 3 outbreaks of pandemics were registered in the 21st century, caused by new strains of coronaviruses: MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. Among them the leader in prevalence, occurrence of severe respiratory complications and mortality is SARS-CoV-2. SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of the coronavirus disease of 2019. COVID-19 is a disease characterized by acute respiratory viral syndrome, transmitted by airborne droplets. The clinical course of COVID-19 varies significantly from patient to patient and can range from asymptomatic to severe forms. One of the common symptoms of the manifestation of COVID-19 is a smell disorder. The pathogenesis and clinical course of coronavirus infection caused by SARS-CoV-2 were examined to identify the causes leading to olfactory disorders in the manuscript. The analysis of existing methods for the diagnosis of olfactory disorders and their treatment was also carried out. The content of the article includes current hypotheses of the pathogenesis of viral anosmia in COVID-19 and a new look at the relevance of this problem among the population around the world. The article analyzes scientific data on the problem of anosmia in coronavirus infection caused by SARS-CoV-2, investigates modern diagnostic methods, highlights the principles of treatment of patients with post-COVID anosmia and presents prospects for further research on this problem.