Recent studies have revealed the dangers of aerosol transmission of the COVID-19 contagion via sneezing, coughing, or even speaking. And research indicates that the “viral load”—i.e. how much of the virus you’re exposed to–is a key factor in how the coronavirus affects you. In other words, the quantity of pathogens you encounter has an enormous impact on your odds of getting ill. And what determines how much of the virus you inhale? Your nose.
The size and shape of your nose and nostrils play a critical role when it comes to how likely you are to contract the virus and how much of the contagion enters your body.
On the receiving end, the shape of a person’s nostrils and the amount of nose hair and mucus present—as well as the distribution of certain cellular receptors in the airway that the virus needs to latch on to—can all influence how much virus it takes to become infected.
The inhalation of aerosolized COVID-19 droplets is clearly what puts you at most risk. This is why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the United States recently updated its guidelines to put less weight on the possibility of contracting COVID-19 by touching common objects, and instead shifted the emphasis to person-to-person contact.
Avoiding inhaling germs spread by someone else is a critical step towards staying safe. And if your nostrils are particularly large and you don’t have much nose hair? Perhaps you should be more vigilant about wearing a mask and staying indoors. ♦
