Scientific American: Unraveling the Mystery of Why Children Are Better Protected from COVID Than Adults

Researchers at the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité suggest that the mucous membranes in their airways are much more active than adults; the membranes also react faster to viruses that it has never encountered before. These researchers claim that those are the reasons why children are better protected against severe COVID-19 symptoms than adults. The study found that, not only do children have many more immune cells in their mucous membranes, but their membranes also produce type 1 interferons, which are “crucial for fighting viruses,” much more quickly. Despite their heightened immunity, children can still get seriously ill if their interferon system is disturbed by other factors, such as genetic defects. For more information on vaccines, click here. For the full article, click here.