Dr Rafał Butowt of the Nicolaus Copernicus University, Christopher S von Bartheld and Molly M Hagen of the University of Nevada studied the differences in susceptibility to olfactory and taste disorders in COVID-19 between Asian, Europe and America’s patients.
Scientists carried out a meta-analysis of chemosensory disorders (smell and taste). Analyzing the results of several dozen studies from various laboratories and data on COVID-19 patients from different regions of the world, they concluded that the probability of smell and taste disorders is three to six times higher in the Caucasian race than in the inhabitants of East Asia.
This result shows that genetic factors have a significant impact on the incidence of COVID-19. Researchers also suspect that greater susceptibility to olfactory and taste disorders in COVID-19 is associated with a higher incidence of patients without respiratory symptoms and without fever – which positively correlates with greater transmission of the virus between people.
