Residents of mountain regions are less affected by COVID-19

The new study showed that people from mountain regions are less affected by coronavirus. It is connected with several factors.

A group of scientists compared several groups of people: one group was from mountain region and another – in the lowlands of Bolivia, Tibet and Ecuador. It was found that people from mountain regions are accustomed to low oxygen level in the air. Also, such people had a reduced level of the ACE2, which virus uses for lung and other organs cells.

The lower vulnerability to the virus may be connected with higher level of UV radiation, which is considered to be natural disinfectant.

Statistics also confirm this study: the number of cases in the highlands of Bolivia was 3 times less than in the lowlands, and in Ecuador, the number of infected were 4 times less.