How to boost the immune defence prior to respiratory virus infections with the special focus on coronavirus infections
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Gut Pathogens Open Access
REVIEW
How to boost the immune defence prior to respiratory virus infections with the special focus on coronavirus infections Samir Jawhara1,2*
Abstract The emergence of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes severe respiratory tract infections in humans (COVID-19), has become a global health concern. One of the most worrying features of COVID-19 is a phenomenon known as the “cytokine storm”, which is a rapid overreaction of the immune system. Additionally, coagulation abnormalities, thrombocytopenia and digestive symptoms, including anorexia, vomiting, and diarrhea, are often observed in critically ill patients with COVID-19. Baker’s yeast β-glucan, a natural immunomodulatory component derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, primes the immune system to respond better to any microbial infection. Our previous studies have shown that oral administration of yeast β-glucans decreased the diarrhoea, modulated cytokine expression, and reduced the intestinal inflammation. Additionally, we showed that β-glucan fractions decreased coagulation in plasma and reduced the activation of platelets. During the period of home confinement facing individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic, our immune defence could be weakened by different factors, including stress, anxiety and poor nutrition, while a healthy diet rich in vitamins C and D can reinforce the immune defence and reduce the risk of microbial infections. Additionally, β-glucan can be used to strengthen the immune defence in healthy individuals prior to any possible viral infections. This short review focuses on the role of baker’s yeast β-glucan, with a healthy diet rich in natural vitamins C and D, in addition to a healthy gut microbiota can provide synergistic immune system support, helping the body to naturally defend prior to respiratory virus infections, until stronger options such as vaccines are available. The emergence of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes severe respiratory tract infections in humans (COVID-19), has become a global health concern [1–3]. Most coronaviruses cause animal infection but can evolve into strains that are able to infect humans. Coronaviruses, belonging to the family Coronaviridae, are enveloped viruses with positive-stranded RNA [4]. Coronavirus entry into host cells is mediated by an envelopeanchored spike (S) glycoprotein, which is responsible *Correspondence: samir.jawhara@univ‑lille.fr 1 CNRS, UMR 8576, UGSF ‑ Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle, INSERM U1285, Université Lille, 1 Place Verdun, 59000 Lille, France Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
for binding to a host receptor and then fusing viral and host membranes [4]. The analysis of SARS-CoV-2 wholegenome sequence causing COVID-19 is phylogenetically close to two bat-derived SARS-like coronaviruses, bat-SL-CoVZC45 and bat-SL-CoVZXC2, first isolated in Chinese horseshoe bats in 2015–2017 [5, 6]. Tang et al. demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 genome has evolved into two major prevalent evo
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