Covid-19 and immunity

Covid-19 and immunity

 

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 It will soon be half a year since the first cases of Covid-19 were registered in China, and many pharmaceutical companies, research institutes and other organizations are working on both the development of the vaccine and the search for effective treatments. Some progress has been made in both directions, but there is still a long way to go. Although it is the vaccine that will provide us with lasting immunity to the new coronavirus, there are still many unanswered questions.

 

• How rapid will the Covid-19 mutation or variability be?

• Will one vaccine be valid for all types of Covid-19, or will it be the same as for the flu, which requires a new vaccine every year?

• It is also a question of people who have had Covid-19 with or without symptoms - does the transmission of the virus provide lasting immunity? If so, for how long?

 

There is still a lot of work to be done in science and we are all waiting for answers and solutions.

 

Correct immune response, not "strong immunity"

Is "strong immunity" good? It turns out not quite. Or rather, the question itself is asked incorrectly. By popularity, "strong immunity" refers to the ability to resist disease, but medically there is no such general concept as "strong" or "weak" immunity. It is more appropriate to talk about the right or wrong, sufficient or insufficient immune response to a particular pathogen.

 

In the case of Covid-19, the situation is unusual - it is the body's enhanced immune response that causes damage to various tissues and organs. The coronavirus causes an irritation to the immune system that causes a rapid, strong and not always correct response - the immune system begins to "try" different ways to fight the virus. One of the ways in which Covid-19 causes immune responses is particularly dangerous - the body produces large amounts of cells that produce proteins called cytokines. It is the excess of these cytokines in the blood, called the "cytokine storm", that can cause inflammation of the lungs and other organ systems, which in some cases can even lead to the patient's death. Therefore, it is not "strong immunity" that is particularly important, but a correct, timely and proportionate immune response.

 

Vitamin D helps regulate the immune system

A study [1] in 2005 described the ability of vitamin D to influence and regulate the immune response by preventing excessive cytokine production and overreaction. A new study by Northwestern University, Illinois, USA, appeared in April this year [2], but is still awaiting peer review. The study hypothesizes that a poorly regulated immune response and the aforementioned devastating "cytokine storm" in Covid-19 patients are directly linked to vitamin D deficiency. However, researchers in the April issue [3] of Nutrients go a step further, arguing that it is no coincidence that Covid-19 appeared during the winter, when the population of the Northern Hemisphere has the lowest seasonal vitamin D levels. The researchers also suggest that any patient and healthcare professional who is at risk of developing Covid-19 should take vitamin D supplementation to increase their blood levels of vitamin D and help prevent the infection from spreading.

 

What to do on a daily basis?

Until a vaccine is invented and an effective medicine for Covid-19 is available, everyone can take care of their own and their family's health and try not to get sick, both by staying away, taking care of daily hygiene and avoiding contact with potential patients, and by strengthening your body and ensuring the functionality of your immune system. The main preventive recommendations for everyday life would be the following:

• allow enough time to sleep, because full sleep is very important for strengthening the body,

• Avoid excessive stress, including too much negative news, as a direct link between the nervous system and the immune system has been shown.

• follow regular physical activity, preferably in the fresh air,

• eat a sufficiently varied diet that provides the body with the necessary nutrients,

• Remember about vitamin D, because with nutrition and UV radiation from the sun alone, it is difficult to ensure a sufficient level of vitamin D in our latitudes, even in summer.

 

It is possible that for someone this moment will become an additional incentive to focus on healthy activities and sports, for which there is no time left due to the busy rhythm of life.

 

[1] 1alpha, 25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 Is a Potent Suppressor of Interferon Gamma-Mediated Macrophage Activation.Helming L, Böse J, Ehrchen J (2005) Blood 106: 4351-4358; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16118315/

 [2] The Possible Role of Vitamin D in Suppressing Cytokine Storm and Associated Mortality in COVID-19 Patients. Ali Daneshkhah, Vasundhara Agrawal, Adam Eshein, Hariharan Subramanian, Hemant Kumar Roy, Vadim Backman; https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.08.20058578v3

 [3] Evidence that Vitamin D Supplementation Could Reduce Risk of Influenza and COVID-19 Infections and Deaths; https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/4/988/htm