Researchers in the United Kingdom are testing to see whether vitamin A can be used to restore the sense of smell in people who lost it because of COVID-19.
A loss of the sense of smell is a common side-effect of COVID-19, with around eight people in 10 who have a symptomatic infection experiencing some reduction in their ability to smell. For some patients—round 18 percent according to one study—the symptom is severe, causing total smell loss.
Prior to the pandemic , researchers at the Interdisciplinary Center for Smell and Taste in Dresden, Germany, established a link between vitamin A drops and improved outcomes in patients with viral-induced smell loss, causing scientists at the University of East Anglia to use the treatment on COVID-19 patients in a new UK government-funded study.
"Around one in 10 people who experience smell loss as a result of COVID-19 report that their sense of smell has not returned to normal four weeks after falling ill," said Carl Philpott, a professor of olfactology at the university.
Philpott said people with smell loss can experience depression, anxiety, feelings of isolation(孤立), and weight loss due to reduced appetite. He said other risks include failure to notice hazards(危险), such as gas or spoiled foods.
"We want to find out whether there is an increase in the size and activity of damaged smell pathways in patients' brains when they are treated with vitamin A nasal(鼻的)drops," said Philpott. "This would show recovery of the damage caused by common viral infections, including COVID-19, in the nose."
In the new study, 38 patients will receive a 12-week course of nasal vitamin A drops and 19 will receive inactive peanut oil drops. Before and after the treatment course, researchers will use MRI scanning to see if there is a change in the size of the olfactory bulb, an area above the nose where the smell nerves join together and connect to the brain. They will also test for neural activity and olfactory performance by introducing distinctive odors, such as roses or rotting eggs, while patients are undergoing MRI imaging.
8. What inspires researchers to use vitamin A to treat COVID-19 patients?
A.A reliable experiment. |
B.Patients' personal experience. |
C.Previous medical research. |
D.Scientists' reasonable assumption. |
9. What may NOT be the result of the smell loss?
A.Reduced appetite. | B.Failure to sense danger. |
C.Feelings of being lonely. | D.Slow recovery from infections. |
10. How did the researchers carry out their study?
A.By interviewing the patients. | B.By analyzing some data. |
C.By observing the symptoms. | D.By doing contrast experiments. |
11. What is the text mainly about?
A.The effective ways to restore the sense of smell. |
B.Using vitamin A to treat smell loss linked with COVID-19. |
C.COVID-19 patients' sufferings from severe smell loss. |
D.Some cases that will cause a loss of the sense of smell. |