Picking Your Nose Could Give You Pneumonia
A study has proved that the dangerous disease-causing bacteria could be transmitted through your nose and hands.
Let's start by stating that pneumonia kills at least 1.3 million infants under five years old each year. Pneumonia is also dangerous to the elderly as well. I've definitely seen my fair share of young children and elderly people "pointing to their brain".
A group of adult volunteers had the bacteria that causes pneumonia applied to their hands. They were then given the choice of four tasks: "wet sniff", "dry sniff", "wet poke", and "dry poke". These things mimicked the everyday tasks that people do inside their nostrils.
"This study has shown that the hands can spread this bacteria as well and objects like mobile phones or children's toys could also be adding to the spread of this bacteria," Victoria Connor, a clinical research fellow at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and Royal Liverpool Hospital, told AFP.
While the study was done on adults, it was to bring attention to parents of toddlers. It may be hard to get your kid to stop picking their nose, but you should make sure to wipe down their toys or surfaces that they are playing with/on. Basically, just ensure good hygiene.
While both the "wet" and "dry" portions of the testing were likely to transmit the bacteria, the total amount was higher in the "wet" pokes and sniffs. This suggests that some drying out may kill some of the bacteria.