Your Immune System and the Coronavirus (COVID-19)
How your magical immune system can keep you safe.
Image Credit: NIAID-RML
If you are worried about getting the Coronavirus, you are not alone. It is hard to ignore the media coverage of it and the seemingly rapid spread, hospitalization, and fatality rates associated with this virus.
And sometimes, it feels like there is nothing we can do but wash our hands over and over. Even then, it can feel like an inevitability that we will get sick.
But, having a healthy immune system can help you. And even if you do get sick, a healthy immune system will minimize the negative symptoms and increase the speed of your recovery.
Knowing a bit about how the immune system works and what the COVID-19 virus does to your body might help you understand what you can do to prevent or minimize the impact of it on you.
What is the Immune System and What Does it Do?
The immune system is your body’s natural defense. It fights against things that can harm you like germs (viruses, fungi, bacteria), harmful environmental substances, and even cancers that grow within you.
It isn’t just one thing in your body, it is made up of organs, cells and molecules, and proteins. These all work together to fight off threats.
One of the magical aspects of our immune system is that we actually have two of them: the innate (non-specific) immune system that fights germs, and the adaptive (specific) immune system that can target specific threats. The adaptive immune system is smart enough to make antibodies and launch attacks on intruders.
These two systems combine to provide humans with an impressive defense against germs and disease.
What Happens to Your Body When You Get the Coronovirus?
COVID-19 is primarily a respiratory virus. Thus, it heads straight to your lungs, which is why individuals who smoke or who have respiratory issues may have more problems fighting off the virus.
There are two classes of cells in the lungs. One produces the mucus (good mucus) and the second gets rid of the debris that surrounds the mucus cells. Scientists have speculated that in phase one, the coronavirus attacks the cells in the lungs that are responsible for getting rid of the debris. If these cells aren’t working, a patient will experience shortness of breath. This can also lead to pneumonia.
In phase two, the immune system (the adaptive one) kicks in and sends antibodies to fight the virus. In someone with a healthy immune system, the virus is successfully abated.
However, if the immune response is ineffective or if the immune system goes into overdrive and also attacks healthy cells, respiratory failure can occur. Essentially, the patient can no longer get oxygen to the body.
All in all, it can wreak havoc on your body. So what can you do to protect yourself?
What Can You Do to Boost Your Immune System?
- Recognize you have an army and make a conscious effort to send positive energies to your immune system.
Our immune system is impressive. It includes:
Cells: B cells release antibodies. CD4 Helper T cells send “help” to ensure efficiency. CD8 Killer T cells destroy thousands of infected cells every day! Dendritic cells digest foreign or cancer cells. Macrophages are called “big eaters” and engulf and destroy bacteria and harmful cells. Regulator T cells prevent overreaction of the immune system.
Molecules: Antibodies: mark things for attack. Cytokines: coordinate the immune response.
Organs: Lymph nodes filter bacteria and viruses. The appendix probably (researchers are unsure) stores good bacteria. The thymus gland is the T-cell maturity center. The spleen filters blood and is the place where B cells mature. Bone marrow is the growth area for cells and platelets.
Aside from what we might think, it is actually NOT that easy to get sick.
2. Attend to the basics of eating well, sleeping well, reducing stress. All of these are know to impact the health of the immune system.
3. Don’t consume alcohol and if you do, drink less. Alcohol disrupts the immune system’s pathways making it less effective.
4. Continue to exercise unless you don’t feel well. Generally, exercise improves circulation which in turn allows the immune system to be more efficient.
5. Eat your fruits and vegetables. Consumption of 5 or more portions of fruits and vegetables daily increases antibody response.
6. Maintain a healthy weight. Obesity is associated with changes in the immune system. Specifically, obesity appears to suppress T and B cell function.
While we may feel like we have no control over whether or not we get and suffer through the Coronavirus, we actually do have a lot of control. Adhering to the basics of healthy living and sending positive energy to your amazing body can help you weather this storm — not just physically, but also emotionally.
