During the COVID-19 pandemic, we are constantly reminded to practice good hygiene by regularly washing our hands and regularly cleaning the spaces where we live and work.
These practices aim to remove or kill the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 and thereby minimize our risk of infection.
But there have been some suggestions that using hand sanitizer and taking other hygiene measures too often can weaken our immune system, by reducing our body’s exposure to germs and the chance to “train” our immune system.
The good news is, there is no evidence to suggest this is the case.
The ‘hygiene hypothesis’
For healthy immune function, it is important that we are exposed to a diverse range of bugs in the environment, known as microbes. Most of these do not make us sick.
The belief that a high level of cleansing and personal hygiene weakens our immune system is a general interpretation of what is called the “hygiene hypothesis”.
The hygiene hypothesis is a theory that suggests that a young child’s environment may be “too clean”, and they will not be exposed to enough of these microbes to stimulate their immune system effectively as it develops.
The argument is that this results in elevated allergies, asthma and certain autoimmune disorders. But scientists have refuted this hypothesis in recent years, as research has shown that there are several other reasons for the increased incidence of these conditions.
Importantly, too much dirt does not help our immune system. It generally reduces inflammation.
What is the immune system?
The immune system works to protect our bodies from things that threaten to make us sick – from harmful chemicals, to bacteria and viruses, to cancer cells.
It consists of two lines of defense. The first is the “innate” immune system, which responds quickly to a range of pathogens to fight infection and prevent tissue damage.
Next is the “adapted” immune system, made up of immune cells that develop a more targeted or specific response to fight harder germs such as viruses. Adaptive immune cells work by recognizing small parts of the virus on the outside of the infected cell (for example, lung cells), and destroying them.
These cells then become what we call “memory cells”. The next time they encounter the same virus, they can eliminate it immediately.
This development of the immune system begins after birth and decreases with age.
What can weaken our immune system?
Some aspects of our modern lifestyle can weaken our immune system. These include:
But there is no scientific evidence to support the idea that extra precautionary measures for hygiene will weaken our immune system if we are more susceptible to infection by bacteria than viruses.
Microbes are everywhere: in the air, on food, and in plants, animals, soil and water. They can be found on almost any surface, including inside and outside your body.
The hygiene measures recommended during COVID-19 will help limit the spread of the coronavirus and greatly reduce our risk of infection – but will not eliminate all microbes from our lives.
Keep it clean
Cleaning refers to the removal of microbes, dirt and impurities from surfaces. It does not kill microbes, but by removing them it reduces their number and therefore reduces the risk of spreading infection.
In contrast, disinfection refers to the use of chemicals, known as disinfectants, to kill microbes on surfaces.
A combination of cleaning and disinfecting is the most effective way to get rid of microbes such as coronavirus.
Extra hand hygiene is of course one of the most important measures for infection control.
We are advised to clean our hands for at least 20 seconds. If this is not possible, use a sanitizer containing at least 60 percent ethanol or 70 percent isopropanol.
Frequent hand washing, especially when a sanitizer is used, can disrupt the natural skin biome, which can lead to increased skin infections. This can be managed with the use of moisturizers.
But the extra hygiene measures during COVID-19 will not weaken our immune system. Conversely, they are essential in controlling the pandemic.
If you are worried about your immune system, do not stop washing your hands or keeping your house clean. What is important is to follow a healthy balanced diet, do regular exercise and take care of your mental health.
Vasso Apostolopoulos, Vice-Chancellor, Research Partnerships, Victoria University; Maja Husaric, Lecturer; MD, Victoria University, and Maximilian de Courten, Head of Health Policy and Professor of Global Public Health at the Mitchell Institute, Victoria University.
This article was republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
.
