Research results that `` people who pick their noses are more likely to be infected with the new corona '' have pointed out that there is a problem with the survey method
Even if you understand bad manners in your head, there must be some people who can't stop picking their noses. A study conducted by a research team at
Why not to pick your nose: Association between nose picking and SARS-CoV-2 incidence, a cohort study in hospital health care workers | PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0288352
One Gross Habit Could Increase Your Risk of Catching COVID-19 : ScienceAlert
https://www.sciencealert.com/one-gross-habit-could-increase-your-risk-of-catching-covid-19
Does picking your nose really increase your risk of COVID?
https://theconversation.com/does-picking-your-nose-really-increase-your-risk-of-covid-210879
The new coronavirus is contained in the droplets released into the air when an infected person sneezes or coughs, and if the virus contained in the droplets adheres to someone's mucous membranes, there is a possibility of infection. Therefore, it has been pointed out that if a person with a new coronavirus attached to their fingertips for some reason picks their nose without washing their hands, they may be infected with the new coronavirus.
Therefore, a research team at the Free University of Amsterdam investigated the behavior and physical characteristics of hospital workers who were regularly tested for the new coronavirus from March 2020 to October 2020. We conducted an interview survey.
The interview was conducted in December 2021 and asked about items such as ``whether you picked your nose'', ``whether you bit your nails'', ``whether you wore glasses'', and ``whether you had a beard''. Of the 404 healthcare professionals who agreed to participate in the survey, 219, or about 52%, completed the response. The research team analyzed the findings of the subjects' behavioral and physical characteristics and the percentage of subjects who became positive for the new coronavirus during the period.
As a result of the survey, about 85% of people picked their noses habitually at least once a month, and men (about 90%) answered that they picked their noses at a higher rate than women (about 83%). Did. Also, about 33% had a habit of biting their nails, about 72% wore glasses, and 35% had a beard.
During the survey period, more than 17% of subjects who regularly picked their noses were infected with the new coronavirus, while subjects who did not pick their noses had an infection rate of about 6%. In addition, no significant association was confirmed between other behaviors and physical characteristics and the infection rate of the new coronavirus.
From the results of this study, the research team reports that the habit of picking the nose is associated with an increased infection rate of the new coronavirus. The research team said, ``Nose picking has not been previously reported as a risk factor for infection with the new coronavirus. emphasizes the importance of
The study confirmed a relationship between picking the nose and infection with the new coronavirus, but the period during which the virus was tested (March to October 2020) and the period during which the behavior and physical characteristics were investigated (December 2021), which may have introduced a potential recall bias in the responses, as there was a considerable amount of time between them. They also noted that the study was limited because they didn't ask whether they picked their noses, how deep they poked their fingers, or whether they ate boogers in the hospital where they worked. The research team agrees.
Thea van de Mortel , a professor of nursing at Griffith University, Australia, also said that the rate of contracting the new coronavirus by touching contaminated materials is less than 1/10,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). , citing estimates that picking the nose does not pose a significant risk of infection. Regarding the fact that the infection rate was not significantly different between ``people who picked their noses about once a month'' and ``people who picked their noses every day'', it would be strange if the contact between the finger and the mucous membrane of the nose was a problem. I am pointing out that this is the result.
In addition, it is possible that selection bias was caused by the small proportion of respondents to the survey, that subjects did not answer accurately because they were concerned about public appearances, and that people who often picked their nose washed their hands less frequently. There is also the possibility that they did not. van de Mortel said that the results of this study only found a correlation between ``picking the nose'' and ``infecting the new coronavirus'', and it is unknown whether there is a causal relationship. claimed.
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