Lifestyle-induced Stress Drives the Natural Immune Oscillations and COVID-19 Infections

Abstract

<jats:p>Coronavirus and COVID-19 infections continue to wreak havoc across the world. Interestingly, the COVID-19 infections and deaths display a clear seven-day cycles. Mathematical analysis using linear mixed-effects models show that this periodicity is not due to reporting errors. We hypothesize that these COVID-19 cycles are related to natural immune cycles which also oscillate every seven days. These immune cycles are regulated by stress and mediated through the endocrine and the central nervous systems. Our routine activities and lifestyle of more stressful weekdays flanked by less stressful, relaxing weekends define the seven-day immune cycles. The synchronized low immunity levels in the population is responsible for repeated seven-day waves of pathogenic infections such as COVID-19. The new understanding of the role of immune oscillations will help in developing strategies to enhance our immunity through modified lifestyle and better, innovative prophylactic and therapeutic approaches against infectious diseases.</jats:p>

Oscillatory Dynamics in Infectivity and Death Rates of COVID-19

“…Taken together, it seems that the 7-day (± 1-day) periodicity in death minima and maxima contradicts the hypothesis that patients with serious medical conditions are more likely to die in the hospital if they are admitted on a weekend than if they are admitted on a weekday ( 23 ). Even though time-dependent variations in stress and immunity can play a certain role in these oscillations ( 18 ), a significant portion of the oscillations observed might be associated with the reporting of the individual cases ( 14 – 17 ).…”

“…Nevertheless, we cannot exclude more-profound reasons behind some of these observations. For example, even later, a study appeared showing that such oscillations might be due to routine activities and that a lifestyle of more-stressful weekdays flanked by less-stressful, relaxing weekends defines the 7-day immune cycles, where the synchronized low immunity levels in the population are responsible for repeated 7-day waves of pathogenic infections such as COVID-19 (18). Therefore, we feel that it is important to consider additional reasons which can contribute to these observations.…”