Disruption of the sense of taste is a common feature of COVID-19. The proposed supplement will investigate potential histopathological changes in taste buds and the surrounding epithelium of the tongue in patients who have lost their sense of taste during COVID-19. Biopsies of fungiform papillae will be obtained from a taste center in Germany which shall conduct psychophysical testing prior to sampling 4 fungiform papillae from patients recovering from COVID-19 ? either with or without taste loss. We will analyze these samples molecularly and histologically to test for presence of residual virus and for changes in taste bud number, morphology or cellular composition.
Disruption of the sense of taste, dysgeusia, now is recognized as one of the common features of COVID-19. The proposed supplement will examine the pathology and anatomical sequelae of COVID infection in taste bud biopsies from patients who have suffered dysgeusia during the course of the disease.
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