Human microbiome trims mucosal glycans, influencing SARS-CoV-2 infection

An international team of researchers has conducted a study showing that differences in the human microbiome may influence the ability of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to infect host cells.  These microbiome differences may help to explain why older individuals and men are more susceptible to developing coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), compared with younger individuals and women.