COVID-19 and Alzheimer’s disease have claimed the lives of millions of people across the globe. Both conditions are characterized by olfactory dysfunction, a puzzling commonality considering that SARS-CoV-2infection and accumulation of misfolded proteins are distinct causal mechanisms. Deciphering the molecular mechanisms that induce anosmia in these conditions will provide insight to other neurological symptoms associated with COVID-19 and neurodegeneration, and will pave the way for Alzheimer’s disease molecular diagnostics.