By Philippa RoxbyHealthcare workers who pick their noses are more likely to get Covid and should be made aware of the infection risk, a study suggests.
The survey of healthcare workers at two university medical centres in The Netherlands in 2020 revealed the majority of respondents admitted to picking their nose "at least incidentally" - somewhere between monthly, weekly and daily. In contrast, a third of staff admitted to biting their nails but this didn't make a positive Covid test any more likely.
Having a beard or wearing glasses did not increase the risk of getting Covid either, despite the potential issues with wearing masks correctly, the study found.The researchers said as the nose was a main route for coronavirus to get into the body, nose-picking may make infection easier by directly introducing virus particles on the hands into the nose.