- Stress negatively affects the immune system (more stress → more susceptibility to colds)
- The lack of antibodies in a person’s blood made them more susceptible to colds
   - However, this data was not statistically significant
- Healthy subjects were given one of five types of respiratory viruses in the form of nasal drops
   - These included: RV Type 2, RV Type 9, RV Type 14, respiratory syncytial virus, or coronavirus type 229E
      - Respiratory viruses target the lungs, which leads to airway blockage (i.e. alveoli are unable to conduct gas exchange), wheezing, and other symptoms that affect breathing
   - The control group was given saline nasal drops
   - Those with coronavirus type 229E showed higher stress, thus more infections

Impact of Stress on The Susceptibility to The Common Cold

- RV Type 2
- RV Type 9
- RV Type 14 
- Respiratory syncytial virus
- Coronavirus type 229E


Michigan State University

The mechanisms by which an organism eliminates pathogenic microbes and allergenic or toxic proteins, collectively known as antigens, in order to maintain normal function.  

Immune Response

Cohen, S., Tyrrell, D. A., & Smith, A. P. (1991). Psychological stress and susceptibility to the common cold. New England Journal Of Medicine, 325(9), 606-12.


Psychological Stress and Susceptibility to the Common Cold

The innate immune response recognizes molecular patterns that are shared by foreign microbes and potential toxins and works via genes in an organism's germ line to eliminate these threats.  This is an organism's first line of immune response, and because a large number of cells in an organism express genes related to innate immunity, the response is very quick.  

Innate Immune Response

Adaptive immunity is defined by two important characteristics: specificity and memory. Specificity refers to the adaptive immune system’s ability to target specific pathogens, and memory refers to its ability to quickly respond to pathogens to which it has previously been exposed. These elements synergistically work with the innate response in order to completely control antigens.

Adaptive Immune Response

Regulators of Immune Responses

Infection by SARS-CoV-2, as is with other viral infections, induces a two-phased immune response in the human body, described in the figure below: 
- Innate (rapid, natural, non-specific) 
- Adaptive (slow, acquired, specific)

Those two branches of the immune system cooperate with one another, and can be distinguished based on the cell-types involved (immune response vs white blood cells). However, the adaptive system is further broken down by the type of mechanism:

- Cell-mediated
- Antibody-mediated

Current research around COVID-19 immunity aims at uncovering the interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and the host's immune response, with questions related to pathogenesis, severity, and intervention.

Immune Response to COVID-19 

Many pediatric patients with MIS-C have had fever and mucocutaneous manifestations similar to those of Kawasaki Disease (KD), a rare childhood illness that causes inflammation in the walls of blood vessels and coronary-artery aneurysms. Although the cause of KD remains unknown, an active or preceding infection has been suspected. Some of the KD–like features of MIS-C are also seen in toxic shock syndrome, which has been associated with other viruses.


Relationship Between MIS-C, Kawasaki Disease (KD), and Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS)

The Immune Response and Respiratory Viruses

Research suggests that stress affects immunology mainly through autonomic nerves innervating lymphoid tissue, hormone-mediated alteration of immune cells, or adoption of coping behaviors.

Stress and Immunology

Mindfulness mediation has been tied to a stronger immune system. A study found that participants who practiced mindfulness meditation exhibited a stronger response to flu vaccinations than participants who did not practice meditation. 

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