Photo:Getty Images/iStockphoto
Getty Images/iStockphoto
Since the start of the pandemic in 2020,health care workershave been at a higher risk of contractingCovid.
But now, a new study has found that healthcare workers who pick their nose are far more likely to contract SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the respiratory disease, Covid.
According toa study of 219 health care workersin the Netherlands, 17% of those who picked their nose caught Covid, whereas less than 6% of those who refrained from nose-picking contracted the disease.
Washing hands for 20 seconds or more can help stop the spread of Covid.Getty Images
Getty Images
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
A person who touches an infected surface — and then picks their nose — may become ill with Covid.
“COVID-19 may get on your hands,” theCDC points out.“You may get sick if you touch your face.”
And this includes your nasal cavity, which is why the agency adds, “Wash your hands before you touch your eyes, nose, or mouth.”
“Our upper airways are the launchpad not only for infection of our lungs but for transmission to others,” Peter Jackson, PhD, a Stanford Medicine professor of pathology and of microbiology and immunology, said.
“It’s clear that human ciliated nasal epithelial cells are the primary entry site for SARS-CoV-2 in nasal epithelial tissue,” Jackson said.
To avoid Covid, the CDC recommends regularhand-washing— for 20 or more seconds, as well as staying up to date on your vaccines and boosters.
And, of course, instead of picking your nose, maybe grab a tissue instead.
source: people.com
