Children’s minor illnesses may shield from severe COVID

Children’s constant minor illnesses might play a role in protecting them from severe COVID-19, counter to experts’ initial expectations when the pandemic began in 2020. TV 2 reports on a study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine indicating that epithelial cells are more active in children’s noses, forming a ‘first line of defense’ according to Professor Allan Randrup Thomsen from the University of Copenhagen. This persistent defense system in children could prevent subsequent infections from taking hold. Early in 2020, data from China showed children with COVID-19 had milder courses of the disease, often asymptomatic. Health authorities in Denmark also note that most children experience mild or no symptoms, with only 1% of infected children requiring hospitalization. Thomsen suggests there might be a positive aspect to kids being frequently mildly ill, as it keeps their immune defense primed against serious infections.