Version 1
: Received: 7 August 2024 / Approved: 7 August 2024 / Online: 7 August 2024 (14:49:45 CEST)
How to cite:
Ishmatov, A. Age, Gender, Race: Disparities in COVID-19 Mortality Linked to Nose's Protective Functionality Against Cold, Dry, Polluted, and Infected Air. Preprints2024, 2024080541. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202408.0541.v1
Ishmatov, A. Age, Gender, Race: Disparities in COVID-19 Mortality Linked to Nose's Protective Functionality Against Cold, Dry, Polluted, and Infected Air. Preprints 2024, 2024080541. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202408.0541.v1
Ishmatov, A. Age, Gender, Race: Disparities in COVID-19 Mortality Linked to Nose's Protective Functionality Against Cold, Dry, Polluted, and Infected Air. Preprints2024, 2024080541. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202408.0541.v1
APA Style
Ishmatov, A. (2024). Age, Gender, Race: Disparities in COVID-19 Mortality Linked to Nose's Protective Functionality Against Cold, Dry, Polluted, and Infected Air. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202408.0541.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Ishmatov, A. 2024 "Age, Gender, Race: Disparities in COVID-19 Mortality Linked to Nose's Protective Functionality Against Cold, Dry, Polluted, and Infected Air" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202408.0541.v1
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed significant disparities in disease severity and mortality across various population groups and regions. These disparities cannot be attributed solely to healthcare systems, socioeconomic factors, living conditions, or individual immune landscapes; environmental factors also play a crucial role.This work explores how variations in nasal morphology related to age, gender, and race can affect the respiratory system's ability to filter, warm, and humidify inhaled air. These variations may contribute to differences in how cold, dry, polluted, and infected air impact the respiratory system, thus influencing the observed patterns of disparities in COVID-19 outcomes.The analysis suggests that individuals with genetically determined wider nasal cavities, often found in populations originating from warmer climates, have decreased filtration and air conditioning efficiency, leading to increased susceptibility to respiratory infections and disproportionately high mortality rates from COVID-19. Moreover, age-related changes in nasal morphology, such as increased nasal volume and involution atrophy of the mucosa, contribute to impaired air conditioning and filtration, thereby increasing the risk of severe outcomes in the elderly.Gender differences in nasal morphology, with men typically having larger nasal passages compared to women, are linked to poorer air conditioning and filtration, potentially contributing to the higher risk of severe COVID-19 in men. Preliminary statistical analyses of the U.S. population suggest that men with favorable nasal structures may have a longer life expectancy than those with less optimal nasal anatomy; however, this should be regarded as a hypothesis.The findings underscore significant gaps in our understanding and highlight the urgent need for further research to unravel the complex interplay between nasal morphology, respiratory system dynamics, and environmental factors in shaping disease susceptibility and outcomes.
Keywords
Air pollution; Ecology; Disparities; Airways; Pandemic; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2
Subject
Public Health and Healthcare, Public, Environmental and Occupational Health
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
