My Virtual Reading Room

Your questions, answered

“The condition of one's immune system is critical for overcoming the coronavirus, if you become infected. What are the best strategies for protecting your immune system or strengthening it?” —David in New Jersey

The idea that we can boost our immune system is kind of a myth, and products that claim to do so are taking advantage of our fear of getting sick. As the Harvard Medical School warns in its guide to immunity: “There are so many different kinds of cells in the immune system that respond to so many different microbes in so many ways. Which cells should you boost, and to what number? So far, scientists do not know the answer.”

The symptoms of an illness — whether it be a cold, allergies or covid-19 — are not caused by the virus. They are caused by our immune system's response to it. Inflammation, mucus overdrive and fever are ways our body suppresses the virus.  A “strengthened” immune system would probably make these symptoms worse, and we don't want that.

What we want is to be healthy overall with an immune system that kicks in when it needs to, so we don't have any of those preexisting conditions that lead to worse outcomes in people with covid-19. The advice we're about to relay is a cliche for a reason — it's how we can give our bodies the best chance at fighting off any illness, coronavirus or otherwise.

• Exercise regularly. Besides improving your general health and well-being, regular exercise promotes good circulation, which the Harvard guide says “allows the cells and substances of the immune system to move through the body freely and do their job efficiently.”


• Eat right. Together with exercise, a good diet will keep your weight in check and supply your body with what it needs to fight illness. Per Harvard again: “If you suspect your diet is not providing you with all your micronutrient needs — maybe, for instance, you don't like vegetables — taking a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement may bring other health benefits, beyond any possibly beneficial effects on the immune system.”


• Get enough sleep. “Your immune system relies on sleep to stay healthy,” the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute advises. “Ongoing sleep deficiency can change the way in which your immune system responds. For example, if you're sleep deficient, you may have trouble fighting common infections.”

Eat, sleep and exercise: the perfect program if you're stuck at home, right? You can also give your body a leg up by avoiding tobacco and excessive alcohol use, keeping your hands clean and trying to relax. Chronic stress is a friend of the virus.