Tonsils and adenoids are the favorite hiding places for the cold virus

A Brazilian study revealed that tissues such as the tonsils and adenoids are the preferred hiding places for rhinovirus (Rhinovirus), the main cause of colds and most respiratory infections in the world.

The study conducted by the University of Sao Paulo (USP), on samples taken from 293 children who underwent surgeries to remove tonsils and adenoids due to snoring, sleep apnea, or recurrent infections.

The study showed that at the time of surgery, all of the children were asymptomatic, yet researchers detected the virus in 46% of them, either in their tonsils, adenoids, or nasal secretions.

Scientists previously believed that the rhinovirus infects only the surface layer of the mucous membrane of the nose and throat, then penetrates the cell and forces it to produce copies of itself until it explodes, which alerts the immune system, which eliminates it within 5 to 7 days.

But the new discovery shows that the virus can reach the deep layers of the tonsils and adenoids, and infect B lymphocytes (responsible for producing antibodies) and helper T lymphocytes (which lead the immune response), and instead of killing these cells, the virus remains inside them for a long time in a latent state, similar to the behavior of herpes viruses and human papillomavirus.