Nasal cells of young and elderly people respond to the Covid virus differently and a new study on Monday explained why kids experience milder symptoms than adults.The research by researchers at University College London (UCL) and the Wellcome Sanger Institute in the UK focused on early effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the cells first targeted by the viruses.
The study, published in the journal Nature Microbiology, found that after three days, the nasal epithelial cells (NECs) of children responded quickly to the Covid virus by increasing interferon (the body’s first line of antiviral defence), thus restricting viral replication.
However, this early anti-viral effect became less pronounced with age, the study found.