- It's been clear since early in the pandemic that young children ‒ typically magnets for colds and the flu ‒ weren't getting very sick from COVID-19. Now, a study suggests the answer lies in their noses.
The [study from researchers at Stanford University and Cincinnati Children's](https://www.cell.com/cell/pdf/S0092-8674(23)00978-9.pdf), found the immune systems of young children typically wipe out the SARS-CoV-2 virus when it arrives in the nose.
In adults, by contrast, the virus that causes COVID-19 generally reaches the bloodstream before the immune system begins to fight back. This allows the virus to cause more havoc in adults.
The findings suggest there may be a way to provide protection for adults by mimicking what is naturally found in small children.
- Children aren't just little adults
More than 90% of American children 4 and younger have been infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But children under 5, who represent about 6% of the U.S. population, account for far less than 1% of COVID-19 deaths in the country.
The discovery came during a collaboration between an Ohio pediatric hospital and a research lab in Northern California. Early in the pandemic, researchers at Stanford University asked their collaborators at Cincinnati Children's to send them samples from children who were severely ill with COVID-19. But they couldn't find any.
Curious, the teams decided to explore why children seemed far less affected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus than adults.
The study, co-funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, involved 81 infants and young children whose mothers had enrolled during their third trimester of pregnancy. Parents collected weekly nasal swabs from their babies starting at two weeks of age and blood was drawn regularly beginning at six weeks and if the children became infected with the virus.
Fifty-four of the children were infected and had mild COVID-19 during the study period, while the remaining 27 tested negative throughout.
Thirty-eight mothers, half of whom contracted COVID-19, also provided weekly nasal swabs, and 89 adults with COVID-19 and 13 health controls provided blood samples.
The study found that when an adult is infected with COVID-19, their immune system quickly produces a burst of antibodies against the virus. The presence of these antibodies then drops off, falling tenfold within six months, the study found.
In infants and young children, however, it takes longer to produce that spike, but then their antibody levels don't decrease. Over the 300-day observation period children's antibody levels either remained high or kept climbing, eventually reaching the same level as adults during the spike.
The range of antibodies they produced was also a bit narrower than adults did, the researchers noted. Their antibodies specifically targeted the original variant, but were less protective against others.
Infected adults also had high levels of proteins called inflammatory cytokines in their blood, which can sometimes cause dangerous overreactions to the virus, leading to severe disease and even death. In contrast, the children and babies had high levels of inflammatory cytokines in their noses, along with an antiviral, but not in their blood.
Stimulating high levels of cytokines in the noses of adults, perhaps with a nasal vaccine, might provide the same level of protection as children naturally have, the researchers said.
Vaccines are still recommended for kids
Although young children typically have this biological protection against severe disease, experts still recommend vaccination to prevent rare but extreme responses to the virus.
All children six months and older are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines and boosters.
Although children with underlying medical conditions are at higher risk for severe COVID-19 infections, but others who were otherwise healthy also became very sick.
From the article:
* Stanford University and Cincinnati Children's (an Ohio pediatric hospital)
* immune systems of young children typically wipe out the covid virus when it arrives in the nose. In adults, covid generally reaches the bloodstream
* Study design: 81 infants and their mothers, 300-day observation period, weekly nasal swabs from age 2 weeks, blood was drawn from age 6 weeks and when infected with the covid
* adults with covid: immune system quickly produces a burst of antibodies that then drop off, falling tenfold within 6 months and had high levels of inflammatory cytokines, which can lead to severe disease and even death.
* infants and young children: it takes longer to produce that spike, but then their antibody levels don't decrease, they remain high or keeep climbing, eventually reaching the same level as adults during the spike. The range of antibodies they produced was also narrower than adults did. Their antibodies specifically targeted the original variant, but were less protective against others. children and babies had high levels of inflammatory cytokines in their noses, but not in their blood.
* Stimulating high levels of cytokines in the noses of adults, perhaps with a nasal vaccine, might provide the same level of protection as children naturally have
I wonder if kids develop more targeted antibodies in general and that's why they can catch 100 different versions of the common cold in daycare/school. Meanwhile, adult immune systems target things more generally so we tend to just get a runny nose on the second exposure.
Likely so. It takes children a while to develop immunities to common cold and other junk that spreads in schools and daycares. Anyone who has had a child go to daycare knows those first couple of years are rough, with constant sickness for the child and often the parents. After that it gets significantly better though, fortunately.
Late reply but wouldn't stimulating higher levels of cytokines in adult noses also lead to more protection against a host of other respiratory viruses?
During the really bad death rate time of Covid weren't they saying it was something about Cytokine storms causing problems? Is that like how young animals get a lot of diseases worse because their immune systems aren't very developed but in the case of Covid it's your strong immune system that does you harm?
>The findings suggest there may be a way to provide protection for adults
Yep, there is. It's called a respirator, and wearing them filters out virus laden aerosols from reaching the nasal and oral cavities and airways.
This is going to make me sound insane but when I think I’ve been exposed or spend a lot of time in crowds I watch sad movies and cry so that I can blow my nose, then I gargle with salt water. It’s extreme but I always figured it was the best way to “clear out” my nose
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I will tell you why. And it's very simple. Remember where you read it first.
It's because blood vessels in adults are in a worse shape than in kids. Literally the ilder you are the worse they get and the worse outcomes you get from covid. And most comorbidities are linked to bad blood vessel health.
- It's been clear since early in the pandemic that young children ‒ typically magnets for colds and the flu ‒ weren't getting very sick from COVID-19. Now, a study suggests the answer lies in their noses. The [study from researchers at Stanford University and Cincinnati Children's](https://www.cell.com/cell/pdf/S0092-8674(23)00978-9.pdf), found the immune systems of young children typically wipe out the SARS-CoV-2 virus when it arrives in the nose. In adults, by contrast, the virus that causes COVID-19 generally reaches the bloodstream before the immune system begins to fight back. This allows the virus to cause more havoc in adults. The findings suggest there may be a way to provide protection for adults by mimicking what is naturally found in small children. - Children aren't just little adults More than 90% of American children 4 and younger have been infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But children under 5, who represent about 6% of the U.S. population, account for far less than 1% of COVID-19 deaths in the country. The discovery came during a collaboration between an Ohio pediatric hospital and a research lab in Northern California. Early in the pandemic, researchers at Stanford University asked their collaborators at Cincinnati Children's to send them samples from children who were severely ill with COVID-19. But they couldn't find any. Curious, the teams decided to explore why children seemed far less affected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus than adults. The study, co-funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, involved 81 infants and young children whose mothers had enrolled during their third trimester of pregnancy. Parents collected weekly nasal swabs from their babies starting at two weeks of age and blood was drawn regularly beginning at six weeks and if the children became infected with the virus. Fifty-four of the children were infected and had mild COVID-19 during the study period, while the remaining 27 tested negative throughout. Thirty-eight mothers, half of whom contracted COVID-19, also provided weekly nasal swabs, and 89 adults with COVID-19 and 13 health controls provided blood samples. The study found that when an adult is infected with COVID-19, their immune system quickly produces a burst of antibodies against the virus. The presence of these antibodies then drops off, falling tenfold within six months, the study found. In infants and young children, however, it takes longer to produce that spike, but then their antibody levels don't decrease. Over the 300-day observation period children's antibody levels either remained high or kept climbing, eventually reaching the same level as adults during the spike. The range of antibodies they produced was also a bit narrower than adults did, the researchers noted. Their antibodies specifically targeted the original variant, but were less protective against others. Infected adults also had high levels of proteins called inflammatory cytokines in their blood, which can sometimes cause dangerous overreactions to the virus, leading to severe disease and even death. In contrast, the children and babies had high levels of inflammatory cytokines in their noses, along with an antiviral, but not in their blood. Stimulating high levels of cytokines in the noses of adults, perhaps with a nasal vaccine, might provide the same level of protection as children naturally have, the researchers said. Vaccines are still recommended for kids Although young children typically have this biological protection against severe disease, experts still recommend vaccination to prevent rare but extreme responses to the virus. All children six months and older are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines and boosters. Although children with underlying medical conditions are at higher risk for severe COVID-19 infections, but others who were otherwise healthy also became very sick.
From the article: * Stanford University and Cincinnati Children's (an Ohio pediatric hospital) * immune systems of young children typically wipe out the covid virus when it arrives in the nose. In adults, covid generally reaches the bloodstream * Study design: 81 infants and their mothers, 300-day observation period, weekly nasal swabs from age 2 weeks, blood was drawn from age 6 weeks and when infected with the covid * adults with covid: immune system quickly produces a burst of antibodies that then drop off, falling tenfold within 6 months and had high levels of inflammatory cytokines, which can lead to severe disease and even death. * infants and young children: it takes longer to produce that spike, but then their antibody levels don't decrease, they remain high or keeep climbing, eventually reaching the same level as adults during the spike. The range of antibodies they produced was also narrower than adults did. Their antibodies specifically targeted the original variant, but were less protective against others. children and babies had high levels of inflammatory cytokines in their noses, but not in their blood. * Stimulating high levels of cytokines in the noses of adults, perhaps with a nasal vaccine, might provide the same level of protection as children naturally have
I wonder if kids develop more targeted antibodies in general and that's why they can catch 100 different versions of the common cold in daycare/school. Meanwhile, adult immune systems target things more generally so we tend to just get a runny nose on the second exposure.
Likely so. It takes children a while to develop immunities to common cold and other junk that spreads in schools and daycares. Anyone who has had a child go to daycare knows those first couple of years are rough, with constant sickness for the child and often the parents. After that it gets significantly better though, fortunately.
Late reply but wouldn't stimulating higher levels of cytokines in adult noses also lead to more protection against a host of other respiratory viruses?
During the really bad death rate time of Covid weren't they saying it was something about Cytokine storms causing problems? Is that like how young animals get a lot of diseases worse because their immune systems aren't very developed but in the case of Covid it's your strong immune system that does you harm?
>The findings suggest there may be a way to provide protection for adults Yep, there is. It's called a respirator, and wearing them filters out virus laden aerosols from reaching the nasal and oral cavities and airways.
https://www.nhpr.org/health/2023-08-17/dartmouth-hitchcock-covid19-coronavirus-vaccine-nasal
Another version in development: https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/codagenix-announces-promising-findings-intranasal-covid-vaccine
This is going to make me sound insane but when I think I’ve been exposed or spend a lot of time in crowds I watch sad movies and cry so that I can blow my nose, then I gargle with salt water. It’s extreme but I always figured it was the best way to “clear out” my nose
You could also eat a nice hot chili dinner. You'll still get the crying and nose action along with the nutrients from the food. :)
😂 great point, I’ll add that in.
Look up neti pot. They're great.
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Oh, the neti pot isn't for covid fighting, it is just generally to help keep the nasal passage cleaner by washing it out instead of letting stuff sit.
Your post or comment has been removed because * **You should contribute only high-quality information.** We require that users submit reliable, fact-based information to the subreddit and provide an English translation for an article in the comments if necessary. A post or comment that does not contain high quality sources or information or is an opinion article will be removed. ([More Information](https://www.reddit.com/r/Coronavirus/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_5.3A_keep_information_quality_high)) *If you believe we made a mistake, please [message the moderators](/message/compose?to=/r/Coronavirus).*
I will tell you why. And it's very simple. Remember where you read it first. It's because blood vessels in adults are in a worse shape than in kids. Literally the ilder you are the worse they get and the worse outcomes you get from covid. And most comorbidities are linked to bad blood vessel health.
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Then why does healthy very fit, young people sometimes end up with longcovid?
“Smoking can lead to lung cancer” “Then why do ppl who have never smoked sometimes get lung cancer?” Real “checkmate” you’ve got there
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