Post by autumn on Aug 25, 2020 21:34:10 GMT
So you’re wearing a mask. Well, mostly. Ok, so you started to walk fast, and breathe hard, and it’s just easier to pull that mask down a little bit under your nose, because, well, you’re still wearing it, right?
Well, not in a way that will likely help you or help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, according to new research. Per a new study in the journal Cell, there are specific areas where COVID-19 is most likely to cause infection. And unfortunately, lots of people are not covering the main region where exposure is most prevalent. In other words, that half-mask habit could be leaving you far more vulnerable than you think. Here’s why:
The coronavirus, it turns out, really likes your nose
.
In this study, the researchers engineered a SARS-CoV-2 reporter virus that was labeled with a fluorescent protein. This allowed them to search for and determine the mechanism by which the virus infects the respiratory tract.
“Interestingly, it was observed that the nasal regions had a higher susceptibility of SARS-CoV-2 infections, with subsequent seeding to the lower respiratory tract due to aspiration,” says Sunitha Posina, MD.
What does this mean? It’s a preliminary finding that suggests that “the nose holds more potential to become infected compared to the remaining of the respiratory tract (such as the throat and lungs),” she says. “When someone does not wear a mask, they are more likely to become infected when they inhale through their nose,” she explains.
Well, not in a way that will likely help you or help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, according to new research. Per a new study in the journal Cell, there are specific areas where COVID-19 is most likely to cause infection. And unfortunately, lots of people are not covering the main region where exposure is most prevalent. In other words, that half-mask habit could be leaving you far more vulnerable than you think. Here’s why:
The coronavirus, it turns out, really likes your nose
.
In this study, the researchers engineered a SARS-CoV-2 reporter virus that was labeled with a fluorescent protein. This allowed them to search for and determine the mechanism by which the virus infects the respiratory tract.
“Interestingly, it was observed that the nasal regions had a higher susceptibility of SARS-CoV-2 infections, with subsequent seeding to the lower respiratory tract due to aspiration,” says Sunitha Posina, MD.
What does this mean? It’s a preliminary finding that suggests that “the nose holds more potential to become infected compared to the remaining of the respiratory tract (such as the throat and lungs),” she says. “When someone does not wear a mask, they are more likely to become infected when they inhale through their nose,” she explains.
