Wellness Wednesday

Why Do Some People Get Sick More Than Others

Researchers set out to find out how cells in the nasal passage compare to the throat when dealing with the common cold virus.

     We all have that friend who always seems to get sick it seems like if they even hear about someone having a cold they too start to experience symptoms, but why is that? Turns out the different cells in different parts of our airway react differently to the common cold virus. Another interesting thing they found during this study was when the body is protecting itself against other stressors i.e smoke and allergins it leaves itself more susceptible to the rhinovirus.

     Scientists from Yale University set out to find out why some people get sick when exposed to the common cold or rhinovirus and some don't. Researchers took epithelial cells from healthy human donors from both the nasal cavity and lungs and exposed them to the rhinovirus. They noticed the cells from the nasal cavity had a more robust antiviral response. Using these results they wondered how the cells responded when they were exposed to another irritant such as smoke, and found that when introduced to one at a time the airway defended the body well, but when in combination the cells could protect against the irritant but were much less effective against the virus. Finding which cells protected the body better against the rhinovirus, and concluding that the cells are less effective when placed against another stressor could help scientists find ways to combat this virus in the future.