Social Isolation Makes You Better at Fighting Bacteria But Worse at Fighting Viruses
Make sure you stay connected while you’re separated.
When you feel connected to other people, your immune system is more prepared to fight viruses because that’s something people pass to each other.
When you’re experiencing social conflict or feeling rejected and isolated, your immune system expects you to get physically wounded, either from a fight, or from a predator, which is more likely to attack you if you’re alone.
When you get wounded, you’re more likely to get a bacterial infection.
Researchers found that when people experience social rejection or other types of social stress, bacteria-fighting hormone production skyrockets, while virus-fighting protein production halts.
Compared to socially integrated individuals, people experiencing chronic social isolation showed enhanced expression of proinflammatory [anti-bacterial] immune response genes and a reciprocal downregulation of antiviral
immune response genes (Slavich and Cole, 2013).
The same type of immune response was found during acute social stress (lasting a short time), although it was less pronounced.
But we’re talking about genes being turned on or off. Social stress turns on inflammation-promoting genes and turns off antiviral genes.
This is because the body is expecting us to get injured, either in a fight with another human, or in a fight with an animal trying to eat us.
In this time of “social isolation” due to virus related threats, the immune system needs to be on virus duty.
Sure, our current social isolation is not due to everyone rejecting each other.
But does your immune system know this?
Keeping your distance from strangers, intentionally crossing the street when seeing other humans — these behaviors register in the brain.
And the brain sends signals to the immune system.
My personal take away from all this is: I’m going to be damn sure that I feel socially connected.
It’s important to keep talking to people. Seeing friendly faces is a really good way to feel connected.
Video chat as much as you can handle, for the sake of your own immune system and those of your friends.
And if you have a select person or two at home with you, physically touch each other. Exchange massages and hugs, as long as you’re not coming into contact with people outside your living space.
There is no substitute for physical touch. It improves our brain states and blood chemistry.
It’s the most concrete indication of social connection, so it sends the strongest signal to the immune system that, “Hey, other people like us! We might get a virus from them!”
