Supraspinator t1_j8b8ku7 wrote on February 13, 2023 at 1:00 AM

Reply to comment by hodlboo in What makes a strong immune system? by hodlboo

Everyone has a unique „library“ of cells that fight viruses and bacteria. Which „books“ you have in your library is dependent on your parentage and the epidemiological history of your ancestors. A person can have a great variety of books fighting a specific disease, but only a few for another. So the effectiveness of someone’s immune system is not some absolute thing, but a mosaic of strengths and weaknesses.

hodlboo OP t1_j8bgnz4 wrote on February 13, 2023 at 1:59 AM

This is helpful, and makes it sound like genetics have the greatest impact on the effectiveness of an immune system in context…

ditchdiggergirl t1_j8bk5bx wrote on February 13, 2023 at 2:24 AM

As a geneticist with a little (very little) background in immunology I’m going to say, idk, maybe? Maybe not. Genes always matter, so sure. But there’s a pretty big stochastic factor with the immune system, a whole lot of environmental factors, and a ton we don’t understand. Starting with the definition of “strong immune system” - and if you can’t define that you can’t answer (or meaningfully ask) the question.

[deleted] t1_j8c9u6b wrote on February 13, 2023 at 5:57 AM

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[deleted] t1_j8d6msm wrote on February 13, 2023 at 1:05 PM

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SlickMcFav0rit3 t1_j8um26f wrote on February 17, 2023 at 1:33 AM

There's also the factor of initial viral load.

Jack gets covid, has no symptoms, and only notices because his work did a random screen.

Jane gets covid and dies from lung failure.

Maybe Jack got a single viral particle and his body had plenty of time to ramp up is response but Jane got coughed on by someone chock full o virus and by the time she started producing antibodies her lungs were already saturated.