The researchers found that social distancing measures during the COVID-19 pandemic altered the early life assembly of the gut microbiota in infants, which was associated with the risk of atopic diseases. They also discovered that the primary factors impacting early-life microbiome assembly included specific dietary factors and exposure to other humans. While exposure to biodiverse environments is important to support the assembly and maturation of a diverse microbiome, human-adapted symbionts might only be acquired from contact with other humans. The study provides critical information to refine existing hypotheses on the importance of the gut microbiota to immune development and highlights the need to better define the optimal timings for microbiota maturation during infancy.
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How Quarantine Life Shook Up Infant Gut Bugs and Raised Risk of Allergies
GIbiome 