A sudden loss of taste or smell are often cited symptoms to look out for as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, but the latest research reveals that our genes play a part in influencing whose senses freeze up due to the virus.

In an article published in Nature Genetics, researchers discovered a genetic risk factor that impacts whether a person is likely to develop a loss of smell or taste as a symptom of COVID-19.

Following SARS-CoV-2 infection, the genetic locus — which is located near two genes, UGT2A1 and UGT2A2 — is linked to an 11 percent increased risk of acquiring either of these symptoms.

COVID-19 causes loss of smell and taste, however not everyone infected with SARS-CoV-2 experiences these symptoms, and the processes behind them remain unknown.

A genome-wide association study was done by Adam Auton and his team. They used online survey data from 69,841 (63 percent female; 37 percent male) people who were over 18 years old and lived in the United States or the United Kingdom.

The scientists discovered that a group of polymorphisms within the two genes UGT2A1 and UGT2A2 enhanced the chance of a person losing their sense of smell or taste after SARS-CoV-2 infection by 11 percent.

Both genes code for enzymes that are produced in cells lining the inside of the nose and are involved in the elimination of odorants that bind to smell receptors.

This finding sheds light on the biological mechanisms of COVID-19-related olfactory or gustatory loss. Despite the huge sample size, the authors warn that the study is skewed toward those of European descent.

It is also necessary to distinguish between the loss of taste and the loss of smell, which were combined in a single survey question in this study.

They suggest that clinical replication, rather than depending on self-reported symptoms, could be useful.

Source: 10.1038/s41588-021-00986-w

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