Is the immune system important in fighting coronavirus?

[OldWiseGuy]

All I've heard is the negative aspects of the immune system i.e. weakened immune systems, autoimmune response, etc. But isn't a healthy immune system the first line of defense against the coronavirus?

 

[friend of]

Yes. A healthy immune system will kick it to the curb. It's not special.

 

[tulc]

All I've heard is the negative aspects of the immune system i.e. weakened immune systems, autoimmune response, etc. But isn't a healthy immune system the first line of defense against the coronavirus?

it does seem to be one of those things that amps up problems already present in the body:
Coronavirus, diabetes, obesity and other underlying conditions: Which patients are most at risk?
My impression is even problems we aren't even aware of at the time.
tulc(finds this to be a little disturbing)

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Yes. A healthy immune system will kick it to the curb. It's not special.

If true I'd say it's very special. We might want to pay more attention to it. Americans have generally unhealthy immune systems which might account for the high infection rate.

 

[Occams Barber]

If true I'd say it's very special. We might want to pay more attention to it. Americans have generally unhealthy immune systems which might account for the high infection rate.

Forget the immune system.

I heard from a highly placed, very stable genius, that Corvid 19 can be easily sorted with a Dettol injection and a 10 minute sunbake.

There are some minor side effects like poisoning and potential skin cancer but, apart from that, it works fine.

OB

 

[Call me Nic]

All I've heard is the negative aspects of the immune system i.e. weakened immune systems, autoimmune response, etc. But isn't a healthy immune system the first line of defense against the coronavirus?

In many patients, the immune system "over-reacts" in a way which leads to further complications, such as what's called "Cytokine storm." But generally, the immune system of any healthy person either younger or older should be able to defend itself against COVID. It's not talked about, but there have been many elderly patients who have recovered thus far.

 

[High Fidelity]

The immune system is incredibly important anyway, as is general gut health.

Incorporating plenty of vitamin c in to your diet is good, things like oranges or better yet, broccoli.

Stuff like Actimel shots or other probiotics are also great.

 

[muichimotsu]

All I've heard is the negative aspects of the immune system i.e. weakened immune systems, autoimmune response, etc. But isn't a healthy immune system the first line of defense against the coronavirus?

I mean, it can make it easier to deal with, but the major problem is the immunocompromised and more vulnerable populations not being able to deal with it when someone, who may be asymptomatic, gets them infected unknowingly because of how the viral load is initially high and makes the person highly infectious even if they show no symptoms.

Covid-19 is a particularly bad manifestation, but coronaviruses in general (which include the flu) have that pesky aspect of being able to spread even when the individual is not showing explicit symptoms, so the preventative measures are more about keeping a handle on things rather than trying to resist a virus that is not as predictable as we think in how it has mutated and become more dangerous to even people with healthy immune systems (like how you can have great security, but if someone is able to exploit it, then you've basically set yourself up for failure if you don't have backups in place (another lesson that was oddly appropriate from a series I'm almost done with, where a security system was exploited because it had a failsafe that could counter it, a lesson about being too overdependent on technology for security)

 

[Monksailor]

Yes, I would agree that is true if one is only concerned about themselves and not concerned about the spread of it to ones with compromise4d immune systems or other deficiencies/sicknesses. One could argue that the virus is good for the species as a medium to allow natural selection to sift out the weak and sick. One could be a deranged, sociopath, also.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Yes, I would agree that is true if one is only concerned about themselves and not concerned about the spread of it to ones with compromise4d immune systems or other deficiencies/sicknesses. One could argue that the virus is good for the species as a medium to allow natural selection to sift out the weak and sick. One could be a deranged, sociopath, also.

Whether or not one is deranged or a sociopath nature will have it's way.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

I mean, it can make it easier to deal with, but the major problem is the immunocompromised and more vulnerable populations not being able to deal with it when someone, who may be asymptomatic, gets them infected unknowingly because of how the viral load is initially high and makes the person highly infectious even if they show no symptoms.

Shouldn't that prompt us to take better care of our immune systems, so we can defeat the virus and therefore not infect others?

 

[OldWiseGuy]

The immune system is incredibly important anyway, as is general gut health.

You would think we'd hear more about it from the experts. America's gut health is in shambles.

Survey shows 74 percent of Americans living with GI discomfort

 

[Monksailor]

Whether or not one is deranged or a sociopath nature will have it's way.

I am so glad that is an erroneous farce.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

I am so glad that is an erroneous farce.

?

 

[pitabread]

All I've heard is the negative aspects of the immune system i.e. weakened immune systems, autoimmune response, etc. But isn't a healthy immune system the first line of defense against the coronavirus?

Yes and no. A healthy immune system is generally a good defense against disease, but an overly aggressive immune response can be dangerous unto itself. If the immune system is too aggressive, the release of white blood cells can actually damage the body: https://www.vox.com/2020/3/12/21176...eaths-china-treatment-cytokine-storm-syndrome

During a cytokine storm, an excessive immune response ravages healthy lung tissue, leading to acute respiratory distress and multi-organ failure. Untreated, cytokine storm syndrome is usually fatal. Patients in other studies who developed cytokine storm syndrome after viral triggers often ironically possessed subtle genetic immune defects resulting in the uncontrolled immune response.
​

In another pandemic (Spanish flu) it was this sort of overly aggressive immune response which led to the deaths of primarily young adults compared to other demographics: Spanish flu - Wikipedia

 

[muichimotsu]

Shouldn't that prompt us to take better care of our immune systems, so we can defeat the virus and therefore not infect others?

It's not that simple, even if you are fighting it and would appear healthy, there is the thing called viral load that affects how you will still be infectious to others, especially early on when you may not show ANY symptoms, which is why social distancing is important until we have better testing protocol to determine whether you are effectively safe and won't infect immunocompromised or high risk groups

Some people cannot really do much, they are immunocompromised and there's nothing that can be done, especially with HIV/AIDS, which is a pandemic most people, myself included, don't realize is a pandemic, just not epidemic level anymore.

And we're not even certain the virus only has one strain in terms of immunity, one could beat one version of common flu and still catch another, that's virology 101

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Yes and no. A healthy immune system is generally a good defense against disease, but an overly aggressive immune response can be dangerous unto itself. If the immune system is too aggressive, the release of white blood cells can actually damage the body: https://www.vox.com/2020/3/12/21176...eaths-china-treatment-cytokine-storm-syndrome

During a cytokine storm, an excessive immune response ravages healthy lung tissue, leading to acute respiratory distress and multi-organ failure. Untreated, cytokine storm syndrome is usually fatal. Patients in other studies who developed cytokine storm syndrome after viral triggers often ironically possessed subtle genetic immune defects resulting in the uncontrolled immune response.
​

In another pandemic (Spanish flu) it was this sort of overly aggressive immune response which led to the deaths of primarily young adults compared to other demographics: Spanish flu - Wikipedia

So a poorly functioning immune system would be best?

 

[pitabread]

So a poorly functioning immune system would be best?

Not what I suggested at all.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

It's not that simple, even if you are fighting it and would appear healthy, there is the thing called viral load that affects how you will still be infectious to others, especially early on when you may not show ANY symptoms, which is why social distancing is important until we have better testing protocol to determine whether you are effectively safe and won't infect immunocompromised or high risk groups

Some people cannot really do much, they are immunocompromised and there's nothing that can be done, especially with HIV/AIDS, which is a pandemic most people, myself included, don't realize is a pandemic, just not epidemic level anymore.

And we're not even certain the virus only has one strain in terms of immunity, one could beat one version of common flu and still catch another, that's virology 101

So it would be better if we got sick faster and more severely so we could save others from being infected by us?

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Not what I suggested at all.

What do you suggest?