Olfactory and Limbic Structures Affected by Long Covid-19

This piece was created to visualize some of the research Dr. Cheng-Ying Ho is conducting at Johns Hopkins into the effects of Long Covid-19. It is a figure illustration in a one of her research papers. Her research suggests that sustentacular cells, the cells that support olfactory receptor neurons, are the target of the virus. When they are killed, the olfactory epithelium degrades, resulting in a thinning of olfactory receptor neurons. This has a cascading effect that damages the mood and memory centers of the brain that are intimately connected with our sense of smell.