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We knew that children suffer from COVID-19 less often and less frequently from the beginning of the pandemic. The reason for this, however, was not entirely clear. Looks like researchers from the University of Queensland found out. The secret is inside the nose of the youngest patients.
- Australian scientists analyzed the effects of the SARS-CoV-2 virus on samples taken from healthy children and healthy adults
- The results of the research confirmed the observation of doctors from around the world: the coronavirus replicated less efficiently in the case of samples taken from the youngest
- – It is possible that increased exposure to childhood risks ‘trains’ the nasal mucosa in children to create a stronger pro-inflammatory response, commented the researchers
- You can find more such stories on the TvoiLokony home page
A team of scientists led by Dr. Kirsty Short of the University of Queensland in Australia has been researching the increased immunity of children to coronavirus infections.
According to their analyzes, milder and less frequent cases of COVID-19 among the youngest are caused by the structure of their nose. According to the researcher, the cells lining his mucosa are better at inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 infections than in adults. However, this does not work for all variants of the virus.
The rest of the text below the video.
The nose protects children from COVID-19 infection
A team of researchers from the University of Queensland invited 23 healthy children and 15 healthy adults to participate in the study. Researchers took samples of the cells that line the nasal mucosa from the patients, and then treated them with SARS-CoV-2.
The results showed that the SARS-CoV-2 virus replicated less efficiently in the samples taken from the youngest. In addition, the analysis showed an increased antiviral response in children.
It could be a kind of adaptation to the increased threat of viruses or bacteria seen in childhood. It is also possible that increased exposure to these risks in childhood “trains” the nasal mucosa in children to create a stronger pro-inflammatory response. – explained Dr. Kirsty Short, quoted by news-medical.net.
Some COVID-19 variants are more dangerous for children
The studies also showed that the Delta variant replicated much less well in the nasal cells of children than adults. However, it was worse with the Omikron variant. The nasal mucosa of the youngest supports their immunity against less harmful mutations, but this may change as the virus evolves.
“More clinical studies will be needed to confirm these preliminary findings in a larger population and to determine the role of other factors, such as children’s antibodies, in fighting SARS-CoV-2 infection,” said Dr. Short.
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