UK – Study reveals how specific nasal cells protect against COVID-19 in paediatric patients

The findings suggest why children tend to experience milder symptoms compared to older adults

Researchers from University College London (UCL) and the Wellcome Sanger Institute have revealed how specific nasal cells differ in children and elderly people when protecting against COVID-19.

Published in Nature Microbiology, the study used cells donated from healthy participants from Great Ormond Street Hospital, University College London Hospital and the Royal Free Hospital.

Researchers focused on the early effects of the SARS-CoV-2 infections using the human nasal epithelial cells (NECs) gathered from children aged up to 11 years, adults aged 30 to 50 years, as well as elderly people aged over 70 years…