Kids may be more resistant to COVID-19 because of all the other viruses they're exposed to

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-07-03 11:30

International

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Children may be less likely to experience the worst effects of COVID-19 because they are developing immunity from all the other viruses they're exposed to, according to international researchers. It's unclear why children tend to handle COVID-19 better than adults, so the researchers tested nose samples of children tested for COVID-19 during the pandemic to see what other viruses were present, such as rhinovirus (the common cold) and RSV. The team says the tested viruses were present in a high number of children, even children without symptoms and especially in children aged under five. They say while it's still not clear how much age itself drives a child's immunity to COVID-19, it's possible this frequent exposure to various viruses is giving children especially high levels of innate immunity that is helping them tackle COVID-19.

News release

From: Rockefeller University Press

Analyzing nasal swabs taken during the pandemic, researchers at Yale School of Medicine suggest that the frequent presence of other viruses and bacteria may have helped to protect children from the worst effects of COVID-19 by boosting their immune systems. Their results are published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM). Read "High burden of viruses and bacterial pathobionts drives heightened nasal innate immunity in children," by Timothy A. Watkins, Alex B. Green, Julien A.R. Amat, Nagarjuna R. Cheemarla, Katrin Hänsel, Richard Lozano, Sarah N. Dudgeon, Gregory Germain, Marie L. Landry, Wade L. Schulz, and Ellen F. Foxman.

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Research Rockefeller University Press, Web page

Editorial / Opinion Rockefeller University Press, Web page

Journal/
conference: Journal of Experimental Medicine

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: Yale School of Medicine, USA

Funder: This study was funded by the National Institutes of Health (T32AI055403 received by T.A. Watkins), Fast Grants for COVID-19 research from the Mercatus Center (George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA; received by E.F. Foxman), the Rita Allen Foundation (received by E.F. Foxman), and the Gruber Foundation (received by T.A. Watkins).

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