Why are some people immune?

[user1488819536]

My toddler and I both caught covid from my work colleague. My husband tested negative. He then re tested at the end of isolation and he was still negative ( 2 weeks later)
We shared the house, rooms, car etc.
Does anyone know why some people dont get it?

@UpTheLaganInABubble I think my DH has that. He never ever gets stomachs bugs and hasn’t vomited once in the 15 years I’ve known him. I had norovirus and he slept in the same bed and cleaned up my sick bowl and still didn’t get it.

I think when genetics will be shown to influence immunity. Just like other illnesses some people
have a natural immunity and others are more susceptible.

And yes eldest DS seems to have inherited this from his father. Never ever been ill since the usual few colds at nursery. Nothing since. He’s 12 and has not had one single day off school due to illness. Me and other DS have had bugs etc but DH and DS1 never pick them up. I find it fascinating.

Good question op, my thinking is that not everyone catches all illnesses

I’ve never had chickenpox even when my 3 children had them terribly. I had an awful viral thing last October that went on for 3-4 weeks, worst I’ve felt since I had pneumonia in 2009 at 20 and no one else in the house caught that

I think genetics play a big part. DS works for the NHS and brought covid home in March. Me and him were mildly affected, he had a shocking cough and temperature. I had all the symptoms that are being reported but they were all extremely mild (would have carried on working and spread it everywhere!) DH on the other hand (DS's stepdad) was very unwell and ended up in hospital with it. DH has a stomach of steel, he'll eat out of date food and never gets sick, but if he catches a cold the whole world knows about it 😂

@UpTheLaganInABubble Have you had flu? I have the FUT2 gene and at the time I was tested they were talking about how there was some evidence it makes you more susceptible to flu viruses. It definitely seemed to hold true for me. I had proper flu at least 5 times between the ages of about 20 and 33 when I found this out. Have made sure to get a flu vaccine each year since.

@RockNRollNerd I think I had proper flu when I was a child once or possibly twice, but never as an adult. Colds floor me though!

T Cells are a massive factor but way too expensive to test for that's the issue

To those saying they are immune to chickenpox... I also thought this as I have never had it, and my mum swears blind I never had it. However in my late 20s I had cause to be antibody tested (was living with vulnerable pregnant woman who had never had it either) and lo and behold I had the antibodies. So maybe you can make antibodies (or generate a t cell response) whilst remaining asymptomatic.

Also I think there is some evidence from Danish public health registries that blood group O is less prone to being infected with COVID-19 than A, AB, or B but not sure to what extent.

Ah interesting that it’s expensive to test for t-cells. I think early on it was clear that t-cells were key to long term immunity for this and I couldn’t understand why all the focus was purely on antibodies.

Some people have innate immunity
Or there could be acquired immunity from previous asymptomatic infection

@Wapalim

Lived with, had sex with and kissed DP when he was positive. Didn’t catch it. Work in A&E, haven’t caught it. Antibody test was negative.

I hardly ever get sick though. Haven’t had a cold in around 5 years, maybe 2 stomach bugs my whole life. Only health issue was raging tonsillitis repeatedly when I was a child. Had them out at 16.

Same. Raging tonsillitis in teens and no serious illness since.

I had the BCG vaccination fwiw

Here's a really good article about the vitamin D and T-cell connection:

blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/another-reason-vitamin-d-is-important-it-gets-t-cells-going/

Basically, you have a load of naive T cells, a bit like a bunch of raw 17 year old new army recruits. If there isn't enough vitamin D in your system, they cannot be "trained up" to do their specific role... to either become helper T cells or killer T cells to recognise and fight off invaders.

75 nmol/l (30 ng/ml) is considered the baseline minimum at which this T cell training programme becomes effective, so almost everyone in the UK and any location above the 35th parallel becomes vitamin D deficient/insufficient in winter.

A bit of a word of warning, I've just had my vitamin D test results back, along with my DH. Mine were surprisingly low at ~67 nmol/l, DH slightly higher. We've been taking 5000 iu since February and I've been inputting my intake into the DMinder app, which has been giving me estimates of a D level around 145. (100 - 150 considered the ideal range). So as they're well under half the estimate, we've concluded the supplements we bought off Ebay in the spring were low quality, so please make sure you're buying a reputable brand. I have been following all the guidelines like mask wearing, SD & hand sanitising etc in shops, but I'm feeling absolutely gutted that I've been vulnerable to infection whilst feeling falsely assured I was at low risk. Me & DH have no co-morbidities, no other metabolic conditions and have healthy BMIs

That’s a really interesting article. I got my levels up using the Better You spray. They were over 100 last time I was tested. I have had breast cancer so important for me to keep high levels (I was part of a study on the link).

I think vitamin D plays a huge role in the workings of the immune system in relation to many diseases. For example killer t-cells are important in fighting cancer too.

I suppose it could be a specific combination of things? Vit d + bcg + type o for example?

@TramaDollface I too am interested to know about psoriasis. I've had pretty widespread psoriasis since I was a teen. If I have a cold, it lasts 24 hours, I literally seem to power through the symptoms in fast forward. I've not had flu since I was 7. I've only ever had 2 stomach bugs. I do get migraines sometimes but that's about it. I've always figured out it's the one positive thing about having psoriasis that I'm rarely ill. But I'm still scared enough of getting COVID that I think I'm developing health anxiety for the first time in my life.

@bathsh3ba good to hear from somebody else law in the same position as me! Also you take anything and has the pandemic made you question it if so?

The way I see it: my body is
Already in the throes of a cytokinin storm so I could have terrible consequences

Or

My immune system is so kick ass that I’ll be asymptotic

Nobody seems to be able to tell me, not even my GP.... currently they only seem concerned if you’re taking anything that suppresses the immune system.

I genuinely have no idea how worried I should be.

I will say though that I had glandular fever as a teen which led to temporary inflamed liver and years of fatigue. Didn’t have P then so now I realise that was a major overreaction.

What tests are people using to find out vitamin D levels?

Bionicname... I got mine done here, it's an NHS run laboratory that do direct to public postal testing for £29. Just pay for the test online, they send out a test kit, you just need to drop 4 spots of blood on the blotting card and send it back. You even get a kiddie cartoon plaster to go over your ouchie finger Then they email you with the results (delayed at the moment due to high demand).

www.vitamindtest.org.uk/

I had mine done at the GP last November when I couldn’t shake an awful virus and had pain when breathing.

@TramaDollface

I’m completely immune to chickenpox it seems

However have raging psoriasis, also never ever Ill - can’t decide if I would die or not contract it at all.

Nobody seems to be able to tell me!

I’ve definitely got wonky genes and a highly reactive immune system

So was I until I was pregnant and somebody didn't think it was necessary to keep their pox covered infant away from the pregnant woman waiting outside Reception. Ended up on oxygen.

I hardly ever get ill. I also have Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis, though, so I do have my immune system wanting to seek and destroy everything in sight.

I think that, like Sickle Cell has a proven evolutionary benefit in yerms of malaria, autoimmune diseases have contributed towards people's survival because their system is so reactive, leading to them staying in the gene pool rather than the tendency dying out as you're not much use if you can't run around after wild animals or till crops - somebody with plaques or swollen joints could still look after the homesteads whilst others went off and did the Mammoth bothering, especially if you didn't get sick and die in the process.

My Mil didn't get covid, but FIL did. She put it down to growing up on a farm, and having had TB as a child. She also rides horses (68 years old), has three dogs, and generally an outdoors surrounded by animals person. I have wondered if this somehow helped her.

I think the TB jab or having TB has shown to offer some protection

@TramaDollface

I’m completely immune to chickenpox it seems

However have raging psoriasis, also never ever Ill - can’t decide if I would die or not contract it at all.

Nobody seems to be able to tell me!

I’ve definitely got wonky genes and a highly reactive immune system

Would appear I am too... Late 30s and never had it, despite looking after my two-year-old who had last year. (Though I know it isn't automatic).

I think some people are more prone to certain illnesses - am prone to stomach bugs but have never had flu or a chest infection.

My DD appears to be genetically similar - also very prone to stomach bugs and she also didn't catch CP from her brother...

It's dangerous to assume you are immune.