NEW YORK : Researchers are investigating how coronaviruses would affect cells upon entry into the bat host in the nasal passages, to explain why symptomatic disease does not occur.While many similar studies of viruses in bats focus on the host's immune system, this study centres on goblet cells, which produce mucus in the nasal passages.Goblet cells are present in bat noses, and researchers hypothesize that there must be a difference in how coronaviruses attack these cells in bats versus humans."There is much to learn about the cells viruses attack upon entry," said study lead investigator Liliana Davalos from the Stony Brook University in the US."Because of the acute respiratory symptoms and the curious loss of the sense of smell in some.