Why Children are Less Susceptible to Severe COVID-19 Symptoms: New Study Reveals Insights

Written by Amal Allam

Monday, April 15, 2024 01:39 PM

A new study by researchers at University College London and the Wellcome Sanger Institute found that special nasal cells in children were protected from infection with the virus. coronaImportant differences in how nasal cells in young and old people react to the Corona virus could explain why children do not suffer from milder Corona symptoms.

The study, published in the journal Nature Microbiology, focused on the early effects of the Corona virus on the cells that viruses first target, namely human nasal epithelial cells (NECs).

These cells were donated from healthy participants from Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), University College London Hospital (UCLH) and the Royal Free Hospital, including children (0-11 years), adults (30-50 years) and, for the first. period, older people (over 70 years).

The cells were then cultured using special techniques, allowing them to revert to the different cells they first found in the nose using single-cell RNA sequencing techniques that allow scientists have mapped the specific genetic networks and functions of thousands of individual cells. The team identified 24 different types of epithelial cells, subjects of all age groups were either unprotected or infected with MERS-CoV.

The researchers found that after 3 days, the children’s neurons responded quickly against the coronavirus by increasing interferon (the body’s first line of antiviral defense) – limiting re- virus production However, this early antiviral effect was less pronounced with age.
The researchers also found that human nasal epithelial cells (NECs) from the elderly not only produced more infectious virus particles, but also experienced more cell shedding and damage. the greater damage and higher viral replication found in human nasal epithelial cells in the elderly may be linked to the level of infection observed in the elderly.

Study leader Dr Claire Smith, associate professor at the Great Ormond Street Child Health Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, said: “Our research shows how the type of cells in our nose change with age, and how this affects. our ability to fight against coronavirus infections and that could be crucial. ” In developing effective antiviral treatments designed for different age groups, especially for the elderly who are at greater risk of serious coronavirus disease.

Dr Kirsten Mayer, co-author of the study (Wellcome Sanger Institute), confirmed: Children with the Coronavirus rarely develop respiratory failure, but the risk of death in infected people over 85 remains high, despite vaccination and developing treatment options.
The research confirms the importance of considering age as a crucial factor in the research and treatment of infectious diseases.
Co-lead author Dr Marko Nikolic (UCLA Department of Medicine) said: “We are still able to identify age differences in our bodies’ response to coronavirus between young and old people to explain why children generally have protect them from severe cases of Covid-19. .

Dr Smith said: “Understanding the cellular differences at the onset of disease is just the beginning, and we now hope to investigate the long-term effects of the cellular changes that and to test therapeutic interventions using our unique cell culture model.
The team recommends that future research should take into account how age affects the body’s response to other viral infections.