Studies have shown that if air pollution worsens due to fine dust, the risk of developing sensory dysfunction such as smell and taste increases after contracting the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19 (COVID-19).
The research team explained that this is presumed to be due to worsening neuroinflammation due to exposure to environmental pollutants.
The research team pointed out, "Sensory dysfunction, one of the symptoms of COVID-19, can be attributed to worsening neuroinflammation due to exposure to environmental pollutants," adding, "Most of the symptoms of COVID-19 disappear when released from quarantine, but symptoms of sensory dysfunction such as loss can last up to 1.5 to 6 months."
Sensory dysfunction in COVID-19-confirmed patients can cause poor appetite or depression. As a result, the research team explained that it may lower the quality of life of patients and threaten their lives in disasters such as fires or exposure to chemicals that require them to notice danger by smell.
The study concluded that there is a high risk of sensory dysfunction caused by COVID-19 infection when the concentration of air pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon monoxide is high for more than a week. "Policy regulating harmful environmental waste can help improve everyone's health during the COVID-19 pandemic."
Writer: Grace Jun
(picture from Unsplash)
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