This gross habit makes it more likely to catch COVID, study suggests

That’s one way to “pick” up a virus.

Those who pick their noses are more at risk of catching COVID-19, a study has found.

The study, published in PLOS One, examined COVID infection rates in 219 healthcare workers at a hospital in Amsterdam between March and October 2020.

Researchers from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam found COVID infections were more common among the workers who picked their noses, compared to those who didn’t. About 17.3% of nose pickers tested positive, compared to 5.9% of workers who didn’t.

“We, therefore, recommend health care facilities to create more awareness, e.g. by educational sessions or implementing recommendations against nose picking in infection prevention guidelines,” the authors state.

Researchers hypothesized that regular nose-picking and nail-biting in environments with high levels of circulating virus facilitates viral transfer to the nasal or oral mucosa, or the inside of the mouth, including cheeks and lips. They suggested this could transfer germs to the mucosa inside the nose.

They didn’t find a link between contracting SARS-CoV-2 and biting one’s nails, wearing glasses or growing a beard.

The majority of study participants, 85%, admitted to finding themselves thoughtlesslly picking their noses. The researchers added that men and younger people were most likely to admit to the habit.

They also found that doctors were the medical staff members most likely to report nose picking, followed by support staff and then nurses.

Nose picking has not been reported before as a risk factor for contracting COVID, the study’s authors noted.

“Our findings highlight the importance of the nasal cavity as a main transit port for SARS-CoV-2,” the study noted. “Nose picking may facilitate viral entry by directly introducing virus particles present on the hands to the nose, thus facilitating infection.”

COVID isn’t the only serious health issue studied in relation to the unhygienic habit. A study in 2022 suggested that picking your nose could increase your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia.

The study, conducted by scientists from Australia’s Griffith University, found bacteria can travel through the nasal cavity’s olfactory nerve — streamlined through a pick — reach the brain and create markers that are “a telltale sign of Alzheimer’s disease.”