Wash your hands religiously for 20 seconds, sneeze into your elbow, avoid touching your face, stay 1 metre away from all other people and, as a last resort, self-quarantine for a week with only your emergency rations for company. If you want to avoid getting the coronavirus, all of these are a good idea. But ultimately, one of the most important things standing between you and a deadly bout of covid-19 is your immune system.
We know that the immune system gets weaker as we age – which is a key reason why those over 70 are most at risk of the disease. But what is becoming clear is that when it comes to immune health, age is just a number. Some people have an immune system that is significantly older or younger than they are. Some 70-year-olds have the immune age of a 50-year-old, for example, with all the health benefits that confers. The good news is there are some simple – and surprising – ways to turn back the immunological clock. Because even after the threat of this virus has passed, sooner or later another one is going to come along, and none of us is getting any younger.
