Clue to Covid-19 is in the nose Nose picking spreads Covid-19
Scientists looking into why children generally experience milder symptoms of Covid-19 than elderly people have discovered that it could be down to people’s noses
There are now far fewer Covid-19 infections than there were at the height of the pandemic. However, the virus is still around in the UK and regular vaccinations (medicines that train the body to fight off infection) are still offered to elderly people and others whose bodies are at higher risk from infections. Scientists are keen to understand why some people are more badly affected by the illness.
For the study, the scientists used cells (the microscopic units that make up all living things) from three groups of people: children up to 11 years old; adults aged 30 to 50; and adults over 70. They grew the cells in a laboratory and infected some of them with the Covid-19 virus. They left others uninfected so that they could make a comparison.
They discovered that the nose cells of children responded more quickly to the virus than the cells of older people. The nose cells reacted by increasing the production of interferon, a substance that helps the body’s immune system (our body’s defences) fight infection and disease. The older the person was, the weaker this response was. The scientists think the strong response of young people’s nose cells to the virus could explain why Covid-19 doesn’t tend to have as much of an impact on children. Dr Claire Smith, who led the study, said, “Our research reveals how the type of cells we have in our nose changes with age, and how this affects our ability to combat SARS CoV-2 (the virus that causes Covid-19).” She said the research could be important in developing new Covid treatments that are designed to help certain age groups.
More research is needed because the nose cells used in this study were donated in February
2020, which was very early in the Covid pandemic. It isn’t known how nose cells would respond to Omicron, a variant (different form) of the virus that appeared in 2021.
The scientists think future research could include studying how your age affects your body’s response to other infections.
Healthcare workers who pick their noses are more likely to get Covid-19, according to a study. A total of 219 people responded to a survey carried out in the Netherlands in 2020. Of those who took part, 17% of people who admitted to picking their noses had tested positive for Covid-19, but only 6% of those who said they didn’t pick their noses had tested positive. The researchers said nose-picking might make infection more likely by transferring virus particles from the hands to the body, via the nose.