Different immune responses observed in nasal mucosa and blood

The clinical manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection vary from one individual to the next, and little is known as yet about the mechanisms underpinning this variability. Since the nasal mucosa is one of the first entry points of the virus, scientists from the Institut Pasteur and Inserm, in collaboration with Cochin AP-HP Hospital, analyzed in parallel the immune responses in the nasal mucosa and in the blood of individuals infected by SARS-CoV-2. The scientists demonstrated that in these COVID-19 patients, the immune responses in the mucosa and the blood were regulated differently and independently. They also observed a disruption in the nasal microbiota, encouraging the development of opportunistic pathogenic bacteria that may cause secondary bacterial infections.
 

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