SARS-CoV-2 Infection (COVID-19) and Rhinologic Manifestation: Narrative Review

Abstract

Patients with severe pneumonia of unknown etiology presented in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. A novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), was isolated from the respiratory tracts of these patients. The World Health Organization (WHO) defined respiratory diseases due to SARS-CoV-2 infection as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Many researchers have reported that the nasal cavity is an important initial route for SARS-CoV-2 infection and that the spike protein of this virus binds to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) on epithelial cell surfaces. Therefore, COVID-19 is thought to significantly affect nasal symptoms and various rhinological diseases. In this review, we summarize the association between COVID-19 and various rhinological diseases, such as olfactory dysfunction, rhinosinusitis, and allergic rhinitis.