Current research provides support for the hypothesis that pulmonary immune cell ligands bind to sensory neuron receptors following SARS-CoV-2 infection.

• Pulmonary immune cell-derived ligands are upregulated
• Sensory neurons (hDRGNs) innervating the lung express receptors for the upregulated ligands

Limitations and caveats of the research are listed as follows:

• bronchial alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples for COVID-19 patients are limited, and further sequencing of patient lung cells is needed
• there is no transcriptomic data for sensory neurons of COVID-19 patients, and the research relies on an assumption that the neuro receptors for immune-cell upregulated ligands will still be expressed following viral infection
• research is limited to sympathetic nerves (DRGNs), and no conclusions can be drawn regarding parasympathetic nerves (nodose, jugular ganglia)