Dr. Strioga explained why we do not have a death rate from coronavirus as high as in the south

– Doctor, this period, when various viruses are rampant, is it the most important work year for our immune system?

– The immune system always has those jobs, especially during winter. But in this case, when we have a new virus, SARS-Cov-2, with which the immune system is not yet familiar and we need to learn how to fight it, if additional infections occur, the task can be difficult for the immune system. For some time, these infections may have inadequate control of the body. If they occur at the same time, the course and outcome of the disease may be worse.

– Can it be said that viruses deplete our immune system or just occupy it and have to deal with one problem instead of two?

– The immune system itself can cope with viral infections. However, in the case of an influenza infection, most symptoms are not due to the flu itself doing something to the respiratory tract, although it does, but to fever, bones, joints, muscles, headache , fatigue, all of which are signs of a developing immune response to the flu. If there are several viruses in the body, it is not even the virus that can be damaged, but the immunity itself when it has to fight on several fronts and very intensely. The immune system can affect the function of the organ that is being administered.

– Is it realistic that a patient can currently be infected with both influenza and coronavirus?

– Of course, why not.

– What will determine how the body will recover? Fight both infections at the same time?

– The flu virus is more or less known to our body. Some of us are vaccinated with seasonal influenza vaccines, others are already sick and already have some immune response. We know that the flu virus mutates every year. However, the memory of the immune system is still its weapon, although perhaps not as strongly, but it works. In 2009, when there was a new strain of swine flu, young people, adolescents and those under 35 years of age suffered the most and died. This was due to the fact that they had a smaller arsenal of general immune memory response components against various influenza viruses. It goes without saying that they have a shorter lifespan and are naturally exposed to less flu viruses.

When the immune system is first exposed to a pathogen, it takes about 2 or even 4 weeks for an adequate specific response to develop. During that time, the virus can do a lot, as can a nonspecific immune response to try to fight it. In this case, the immune system is more likely to react to the flu virus. When this new virus, which our body is examining and to which we do not yet have a specific immune response, contributes, 2 challenges can arise here. With one immune system driving, with another trying to manage, the immune response is too great, the general reaction can be more severe. This would manifest as a more serious and less controlled form of the disease. A recent study showed that we have a certain immune response to coronaviruses, which is more common in northern Europeans, where colds are more circulating in the cold season. T lymphocytes can recognize this virus. In part, this may explain why we do not have as high a mortality rate as we do in the South.

– How much does the flu vaccine affect our body? Can it be said that flu vaccination can help to withstand the coronavirus?

– Influenza and coronaviruses are in completely different groups. The positive effect of a flu vaccine could be that if the immune system is able to adequately fight the flu virus and control that infection with the resources it already has, the coronavirus will also have a minor strain when it gets sick. On the other hand, the resulting inflammatory environment created by fighting the influenza virus may generate some immune noise so that the immune system also pays more attention to the coronavirus.

When the coronavirus only enters the body, the first link is a non-specific response, then it provides information to the body and specific warriors come to the rescue. The immune system of the elderly has not responded for a long time, since aging is a constant inflammatory process, both due to the aging of the cells and the cytokines they secrete, as well as other factors. Chronic inflammatory cytokines circulate in the blood and other tissues. When a new pathogen arrives that must trigger an inflammatory response, it must cross a much larger barrier to gain attention. As a result, the body responds more slowly to coronavirus in the elderly.

– What would be the benefits of the pneumococcal vaccine in this context and for whom?

– Pneumococcus is the most common bacteria that causes pneumonia, otitis media, especially in children. Most of us don’t get sick when we get pneumococci. Most are carriers, although they have no symptoms. Such wear can last up to several to several decades. When the body begins to respond to a viral infection, inflammatory cytokines are released. This onset of the immune response makes the mucous membranes more susceptible to pneumococcus for some time. In this case, the outbreak of this infection can be facilitated.

Very often, if there is a more serious flu and the older person is hospitalized, antibiotics are given even though they do not work against viruses, but this prevents a secondary bacterial infection. If a person already has an influenza or coronavirus infection, pneumococcus can become very serious and cause an infectious infection. It can turn into pneumococcal sepsis or meningitis, arthritis. Therefore, vaccination with pneumococcal vaccine would be beneficial. Children and people over 65 or chronically ill should get vaccinated. However, in this case, the general public, even those at lower risk, should be vaccinated with the pneumoconjugate vaccine. <...> When there are multiple enemies, a body part can already be prepared to make it easier for the body to recover when they arrive. Then it will be possible to concentrate more resources and focus on someone who is the new enemy.

– Who kills a coronavirus patient. Is it a virus itself or an immune response?

– Only the autopsy could already see in detail why it happened. And the effects of the virus itself can do that, but for the most part, it’s about the immune response. This infection is believed to be the most common cause of death, as are, incidentally, other viral infections with certain chronic diseases.

– There are cases when people who were in a meeting and interacted with the patient reacted differently to the virus: some get infected and some don’t. Does the very fact of the infection depend on our immune system or not?

– I think so. Like I said, older people develop chronic systemic inflammation. It also depends a lot on the concentration of the virus, how much has entered, because the number of viruses is very important. It depends on the state of the immune system, perhaps even the receptors that the virus binds to. Also, how many people have already been exposed to other colds, coronavirus. There are many factors that determine it. But it goes without saying that both the concentration of the virus itself and its viability are important – if you sneeze directly at a person, the virus is much more viable than if it had been on the surface for a few days.

– There are many asymptomatic cases among patients. What does this mean and how can it be?

– This means that people do not have any symptoms. Several of the symptoms that occur are due to an immune response. Again, look at the amount of virus that has entered the body. If the immune system only begins to react when it enters and fights it gradually, it also leads to the absence of symptoms. But it is largely determined by the amount of virus that has entered the body. We have a lot of viral infections in the body and we don’t even know it. There are also peculiarities of the immune system: phlegmatic, choleric, so it depends on how we react.

– We have repeatedly heard the phrase ‘improve the immune system’. What can we really do about it? Or maybe at least we can’t hurt?

– It is better to always create it, not only when the pandemic is raging. If the damage is done in a few years, it won’t change much. First of all, it is a normal, balanced and healthy diet. 40% must be included in the diet. vegetables of the widest variety. Chronic stress management, sleep rhythm maintenance, hardening, avoidance of harmful habits. However, it must be remembered that some immune systems are inherently more suitable and sensitive to viruses than others. If you really want to take a multivitamin, you can, but you don’t have to create the illusion that it is an antivirus. A person may simply feel more confident and experience less chronic stress while taking vitamins. But in normal doses, not in overdose.