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Questions tagged [immune-system]

The group of cellular and molecular processes that the body uses to fight bacterial, viral, and parasitic infections. Autoimmune and inflammatory disease are caused by malfunctioning of this system and should also be tagged with the disease name.

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In a viral infection, which symptoms are caused by the virus itself, and which symptoms are caused by the body fighting the virus? [closed]

Most symptoms commonly associated with respiratory viral infections, like the common cold, are actually immune in nature. Fever is the body's attempt to overheat the virus, excess mucous is the body's ...
TheEnvironmentalist's user avatar
25 votes
2 answers
5k views

Effect of the common cold on the immune system

I've heard that once a person catches a cold, his whole immune system becomes weak and is affected. In what way does having a cold influence the immune system? If it does weaken it, how can one keep ...
Akshay Vasu's user avatar
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14 votes
6 answers
2k views

Will COVID-19 survivors develop immunity from future infections?

For this question, assume that the virus does not mutate. Can survivors be expected to develop immunity? Why or why not (what is the thought process)? The CDC FAQ indicates that they do not know: Q: ...
gatorback's user avatar
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5 votes
1 answer
241 views

What are the limits on the amount of pathogens that a body can be immune to at any given time?

Before the seasonal flu vaccine was recommended for all healthy adults, people in developed countries might get vaccinated against on the order of 10 different pathogens and develop immunity for some ...
Macrophagus's user avatar
-2 votes
1 answer
69 views

What's the best time of year to purposely contract COVID? [closed]

Before the vaccine for German measles was available, girls were encouraged to expose themselves to a friend or acquaintance who had the disease, to acquire immunity, so that they would not end up ...
aparente001's user avatar
18 votes
2 answers
768 views

How can I boost my immune system? [closed]

There are a lot of products, foods, and activities that claim they "boost" the immune system. I've heard good things about yogurt, probiotics, superfoods, herbs, oils, supplements, acupuncture, yoga.....
Nate Barbettini's user avatar
9 votes
2 answers
151 views

Are there diseases for which infection does not grant lasting immunity but a vaccine does?

There has been a lot of discussion about whether people who have COVID-19 and recover will have long-lasting immunity. At the same time, work is underway to create a vaccine for this disease. But if ...
BrenBarn's user avatar
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6 votes
2 answers
158 views

Is there a virus from which humans can recover, but which doesn't grant long lasting immunity?

Prior to the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic I was under the impression that viruses fall into two categories: Diseases from which you recover and afterwards become fully immune. When reinfected with a mutated ...
JonathanReez's user avatar
  • 1,466
6 votes
1 answer
176 views

How does immunosuppressant affect immune system?

I'm talking Immuran (azathioprine) and I would like to know what it does to immune system exactly. I'm not a doctor but I'm asking here just to learn. Does it kill all white cells? Does it reduce the ...
user2824371's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
173 views

Rising allergy and intolerance diagnosis rates

A leading theory behind the rising allergy and intolerance diagnosis rates is the "hygiene hypothesis." This theory suggests that living conditions in much of the world might be too clean and that ...
Chris Rogers's user avatar
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5 votes
1 answer
97 views

Does laughing improve immune system?

From this question, I learn ways of the boosting immune system, but i didn't find main word laughing, so does laughing improve immune system?
Sherlock James's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
270 views

What would count as definitive proof that humans can develop COVID-19 immunity?

There are currently numerous debates over whether or not people who have recovered from COVID-19 develop immunity to the disease. By the standards of the the scientific community, what kind of proof ...
JonathanReez's user avatar
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3 votes
2 answers
119 views

Can you recover from COVID-19, and then be reinfected so as to be a danger to other people?

Assuming I've contracted COVID-19 this January and made a full recovery and the antibodies have already left my body again. Now, I come into contact with someone who is sick and I inhale some COVID-19 ...
cheesus's user avatar
  • 133
3 votes
1 answer
62 views

The relationship between the rate of decrease of antibody production and long term immunity

I am seeing a large number of COVID-19 articles which point to low levels of antibody production 2-3 months after infection. They all point to this being an indicator that infection may not provide ...
Cort Ammon's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
126 views

Why does a dental abscess / infection usually go away after a root canal?

After an abscess is diagnosed and a root canal treatment is done on a tooth, why does the infection go away? It seems all the root canal treatment does is remove the total volume of space for the ...
Chris Stryczynski's user avatar
3 votes
0 answers
63 views

Would being infected with every kind of cold virus strain at once be a good immunization or dangerous?

I know colds come from around 200 different kinds of viruses. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_cold But would it be worth the risk to be purposefully infected with every type of strain that ...
user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
455 views

Do coronavirus antibodies give you any immunity?

According to Coronavirus antibodies may not make you immune, WHO warns There is no evidence to suggest that recovered coronavirus patients and former asymptomatic carriers who have coronavirus ...
Pablo's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
63 views

What is Immunotherapy for cancers?

I have heard a lot about immunotherapy in the last 2 years. It is not used in many countries and is still under testing. What is immunotherapy? (I need a simple explanation, I am not a doctor) How ...
alim1990's user avatar
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