08/03/2023

Study Shows Nose Picking Linked to Higher Risk of COVID

Habitual nose picking is associated with an increased risk of contracting the virus

Habitual nose picking is associated with an increased risk of contracting the coronavirus (COVID-19), researchers in the Netherlands found.

A new study, published Wednesday in PLOS ONE, showed that nearly 85 percent of 219 healthcare workers surveyed reported picking their noses with varying frequencies — monthly, weekly or daily. Of those, about 17 percent contracted COVID-19, compared with about 6 percent of those who said they did not engage in the activity. The risk was relatively the same for all nose pickers, the researchers said, regardless of how often they did it.

The researchers had studied the increased risk of coronavirus contraction among healthcare workers in 2020 and wanted to know what may have led to it. In the recent study, they decided to look at behaviors that conflict with health guidelines — wearing beards, biting nails and picking schnozzles.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.