Nose picking, it seems such an innocent activity. Still, it is better to leave it if you want to avoid a corona infection, according to new research by the Amsterdam UMC. The scientists even state that nose picking should be taken more seriously as a possible risk of infection.
The Amsterdam researchers looked at the impact that nose picking, but also nail biting and wearing glasses or a beard, has on the risk of a corona infection. To this end, they collected data from a few hundred healthcare workers who work at the UMC. Just over 85 percent picked their nose. Two-thirds usually wore glasses and one-third engaged in nail-biting. “Doctors picked their noses most often,” the research team writes. A total of 34 participants had contracted Covid-19 by October 2020. Of them, no fewer than 32 were regularly stuck in their nose.
Finger in the nose every day
Investigator Ayesha Lavell counters Scientias.nl in a little more detail: “Between March and October 2020, we followed a group of hospital employees, using blood tests to see whether they had contracted an infection with Covid-19. In December 2021, some of these employees then received a questionnaire about behavior, such as picking their nose, and physical characteristics, such as wearing glasses. 219 hospital employees of the Amsterdam UMC participated in this survey, of whom 84.5 percent indicated that they sometimes – varying from monthly to daily – pick their nose.”
Much more likely to get corona
And that nose-picking was not without consequences. “These nose pickers were found to be more likely to become infected with Covid-19 during the first phase of the pandemic than non-nose pickers (17.3 versus 5.9 percent). This means that nose pickers were almost three times more likely to be infected with Covid-19,” explains Lavell, emphasizing that it is a correlation, not a causation. “So we cannot rule out the possibility that non-nose pickers are generally more hygienic, for example. However, we have adjusted for important possible factors, such as Covid-19-related exposure – of patients and colleagues or family members – which our previous study has shown to be associated with the risk of contracting corona.”
Nail biting is allowed
The researchers also looked at the influence of glasses, a beard and nail biting on the risk of Covid-19. It was not possible to establish a connection. Why was that there with nose picking? “The nose is one of the routes through which the coronavirus can enter the body. The underlying idea is that by picking your nose you bring the virus in if it is on your finger, and that picking your nose can also damage your nasal mucosa, which may make it even easier for the virus to enter,” it sounds.
Saliva protects
“Initially we were surprised that we did not see a link between nail biting and corona infections, although other scientists have since published research on the possible protective effect of saliva that could explain this,” explains Lavell. “With regard to wearing glasses, our data pointed towards a protective effect but we could not demonstrate this – the results were not significant – and for having a beard, our group may have been too small to detect small effects. and may require more research.”
The results surprised the researchers. “We were surprised by the size of the relationship between nose picking and the number of corona infections. We were also initially surprised that we saw no connection between nail biting and covid infections,” said the Amsterdam scientist.
Stay out of your nose
The researcher would therefore not like to conduct further research into such factors, but would like to know more about nose picking. “Follow-up research could include looking deeper into the details of nose picking: for example, does it take place at work or at home? And we could evaluate ways to reduce this behavior, such as using behavioral therapy or nasal sprays to reduce snot.”
In general, she advises picking your nose as little as possible, especially in times of the flu and corona. “I would say try to stop picking your nose, especially during a wave or epidemic of viruses that can cause a respiratory infection. But good hand hygiene is also important. In addition, I think it is important in healthcare institutions to create awareness about nose picking through the infection prevention department and to advise against this behavior.”
2023-08-06 09:02:55
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