[watchfirst9]

I think the inability of the older survivors to recover should be due to their ageing NERVE cells that have shortened telomeres.
When a nerve "circuit" is destroyed by the coronavirus, the cells are not able to regrow a new one to transmit and process the "signals" from the nose.
And according to the article posted on hwz, the Covid virus also makes it even harder for repair of damaged cells.

PEER REVIEWED: SARS–CoV–2 Spike Impairs DNA Damage Repair and Inhibits V(D)J Recombination In Vitro
https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/threa...o.6637714/

Telomeres, lifestyle, cancer, and aging
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3370421/


https://theory.labster.com/telomere-length/

During the illness maybe they should wash their nose frequently 
to inhibit the virus growth thereby make recovery faster.