Manchester. In the last one or two months, several countries in the northern hemisphere, including the US and the UK, have seen a wave of cases of virus-borne infections of the respiratory system. Under this, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), flu and Covid-19 infections (Covid-19 Infections) were found in people of all ages. Apart from this, bacterial infections like Strep-A were also seen in children. Sometimes these infections can also be very serious. The UK has seen a significant increase in the number of patients admitted to hospital during winter, putting further pressure on the health service.

This situation has led some to question whether COVID-19 damages our immune systems and increases the risk of other infectious diseases, such as the flu, in people who have been infected before. Another idea to explain the increase in viral respiratory tract infections is that children ‘escaped’ common childhood infections during the coronavirus pandemic, which made them more vulnerable to these infections due to ‘immune deficiency’. Has made more sensitive means they can get sick easily from these viruses. But how reliable is this explanation?

Covid and our immune system?
The human immune system evolves to deal with a variety of infectious agents. The human immune system has a variety of weapons that work together to not only eliminate infectious agents (viruses, bacteria, etc.), but also to remember them for a more rapid and effective response to subsequent infection with these agents. also keep.

But many infectious agents develop such tricks within themselves that trick the immune system, such as the parasite named ‘Schistosoma mansoni’, which hides itself in such a way that the immune system cannot detect it.

Similarly, a virus called SARS-CoV-2 infects Covid-19. It dodges the immune system like other viruses, especially its fresh variants.

some exceptions
SARS-CoV-2, like many other viruses, does not affect all people equally. We have known for some time that certain groups (including the elderly and people with other diseases, including diabetes and obesity) are more likely to become seriously ill if infected with COVID-19.

This weakness is associated with an abnormal response of the immune system to the corona virus, which results in inflammation. Here we see a decrease in the number of lymphocytes and a change in immune cells known as phagocytes.

Despite this, the immune system of these people with weakened immunity returns to normal in two to four months, but in some people, especially those with a severe form of COVID-19 or those who are suffering from other diseases, some changes may occur up to six months after infection. can live.

What is long covid?
Evidence suggests that the most pronounced and persistent differences in immune cells following COVID-19 infection are seen in those who develop chronic COVID.

However, so far no data has been found of reduced immunity in patients with long covid. While an overactive immune response can actually do harm, the changes seen in the immune cells of patients with chronic COVID seem consistent with a vigorous immune response. This may explain the post-infection complications and symptoms in people with chronic COVID.

Immune Debt
Immune debt is a hypothesis which postulates that the lack of exposure to the outside world during ‘lockdown’ has resulted in a collapse of the immune system, especially in children. Under this, it is believed that our immune system forgets the ‘knowledge’ of the past and due to this the person becomes more vulnerable in terms of protection against infection.

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Tags: Coronavirus, covid 19, flu