Regular exercise stimulates interferon production, an important ally against Covid

According to the recent discovery stread also by authoritative American newspapers such as Bloomberg, the doctors who are fighting the battle against Covid seem to have reached a turning point. The likely cause of the most acute forms of Covid - including life-threatening forms - is the patient's lack of a particular protein called interferon.

What is interferon

Interferons are proteins produced by our body that can interfere - hence their name - with the growth of certain viruses, such as flu, but can also inhibit the growth of cancer cells and modulate the functions of different cells of the immune system.

The fact
Recently, the case of a pair of young twins who, after contracting the coronavirus, had a relapse that couldn’t be explained by their age and basic clinical condition have been analyzed. Geneticists discovered that they had a genetic mutation that led to a loss of immune function and this anomaly resulted in a lack of the substance called interferon.

The scientific discovery
Those who have a problem in the production or action of interferon due to a genetic abnormality could therefore benefit from new therapies based on this very substance, in conjunction with the other therapies available today to treat Covid-19.
As the genetic abnormality causing interferon malfunctions is not widespread, these cases would be numerically insignificant.
However, given the importance of this protein in modulating the immune response, we all must consider a non-pharmacological but very effective modality, capable of increasing both the quantity and the efficiency of interferon; we are talking about physical activity.

Exercise is Medicine

For years, scientific research has shown that there is a relationship between physical activity and immune response, the latter improving as a result of increased production of killer leukocytes and interferon, both very important for the prophylaxis of viral infections and neoplasms.
Regular aerobic exercise, such as doing 30-60 minutes at moderate intensity on a treadmill or exercise bike, improves general surveillance against pathogens by stimulating the continuous exchange of important types of white blood cells between circulation and tissues (Nieman and Wentz, 2019). This, in addition to stimulating the production of important proteins such as interferon, also improves immune surveillance, reduces the risk of diseases and systemic inflammations.

Regular physical activity can therefore be considered as an important ally for the immune system, in terms of prevention and body resistance to the symptoms in case of infection.

Clinical studies support a reduction in sick days of up to 40-45% of acute respiratory infections in those who practice almost daily aerobic activity compared to those who are sedentary. Another study conducted by Hamer et al. in 2019 on the risk of mortality from infectious diseases has shown that physical activity has more than halved the risk of mortality from bacterial and viral infections.

Regular physical activity can therefore be considered as an important ally for the immune system, in terms of prevention and body resistance to the symptoms in case of infection.
Clinical studies support a reduction in sick days of up to 40-45% of acute respiratory infections in those who practice almost daily aerobic activity compared to those who are sedentary. Another study conducted by Hamer et al. in 2019 on the risk of mortality from infectious diseases has shown that physical activity has more than halved the risk of mortality from bacterial and viral infections.

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