health

Why does the severity of coronavirus symptoms vary from person to person?

Infectious disease expert Dr. Isaac Bogoch says it all has to do with your immune system response.

March 30, 2020 10:02 a.m. EST

People wearing face masks shop at the symp market in Ankara on March 29, 2020. - Outdoor fruit and vegetable markets are open in Turkey although nearly 150,000 businesses have been temporarily closed to stop the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic caused by the new coronavirus. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP) (Photo by ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images)

The information provided on the show is for general information purposes only. If you have a health problem, medical emergency, or a general health question, you should contact a physician or other qualified health care provider for consultation, diagnosis and/or treatment. Under no circumstances should you attempt self-diagnosis or treatment based on anything you have seen on the show.As the situation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, people have questions about how they can best prepare for the situation and protect themselves against the virus. Your Morning been taking your questions to health experts. They’ve looked at what the symptoms of the virus are, how COVID-19 will come to end, if the flu shot can protect you, if you should stop taking ibuprofen, whether or not young people are at risk of falling seriously ill, how long someone can carry COVID-19, the conditions that can make you high-risk, whether or not your ‘work clothes’ can contaminate your house, if COVID-19 can jump from item to item, and if you can catch the virus by using an elevator. Dr. Isaac Bogoch responded to even more questions about the virus. Find his answers below, and watch the video above to learn more.

IS HERD IMMUNITY A VIABLE OPTION?

Herd immunity is something typically discussed in regards to vaccination. Basically, in regards to COVID-19, it would mean for as many people as possible to get the infection, thus making most people immune and ending the spread. Is that a good idea? Most likely not, says Dr. Bogoch. One look at other countries, where lots of people are infected quickly, will explain why. Healthcare systems get overwhelmed, which causes lots of problems for everyone.

WHY DO SEVERITY OF SYMPTOMS VARY FROM PERSON TO PERSON?

This is not something unique to COVID-19 - we see this with other common infections as well, namely influenza. There's a lot more that influences case severity than just the infection. There's a dance between infection and host, between a person's immune system and the virus. Depending on how big or small your immune response is, you might experience a very mild, or very severe case.

CAN PEOPLE NOW GET TOGETHER WITH FAMILY?

Dr. Isaac says people have to be very cautious about breaking physical distancing at this point. Even though many are doing their best to avoid coming into contact with others, the reality is people are still leaving the house for essential reasons, which puts them at risk of being exposed to the virus. We still have to do everything we can to protect vulnerable populations, so breaking physical distancing rules is still not a good idea.[video_embed id='1929789']BEFORE YOU GO: Can you get COVID-19 from using an elevator?[/video_embed]