<div>In a major scientific study published in the journal Cell, scientists at the UNC School of Medicine and the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health have characterized the specific ways in which SARS-CoV-2 &ndash; the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 &ndash; infects the nasal cavity to a great degree &ndash; replicating specific cell types &ndash; and infects and replicates progressively less well in cells lower down the respiratory tract, including the lungs.</div>