Last updated 2024/10/02.
"Governments and certain key opinion formers aren't being open and honest about the risks associated with COVID-19[,] and their actions will have long-term consequences for public health and trust in science," wrote The John Snow Project on May 14.
The evidence that covid can dysregulate the immune system is extensive, though not well-publicized. A close eye on Reddit will reveal — with surprising frequency — posts asking about, or describing, anecdotal experiences with this. Here are over two dozen examples:
August 9, 2022:
r/COVID19Positive — "Lessened Immunity"
Had Covid twice, and noticed I've had less immunity than before.
September 22, 2022:
r/LongCovid — "Extreme reaction to colds since covid"
I had COVID in march 2022 and have since had extreme reactions to common colds.
December 9, 2022:
r/COVID19Positive — "We've been sick at least once every month since our Covid infection"
Ever since our first Covid infection in May, we've been sick once a month.
July 30, 2023:
r/COVID19Positive — "Anyone else have the immune system of a toddler after COVID"
I got Covid last August. I've been sick at least once a month if not multiple times a month ever since.
August 11, 2023:
r/Supplements — "Looking for something to boost my immune system. I've been getting sick often and I'm sick of it"
Every 4 weeks or so [...] I catch a cold. And pretty mean ones. Last time I ended up in urgent care just due to the body aches. No fever, no covid, no flu and no streptococcus, just bad bad colds.
August 16, 2023:
r/COVID19Positive — "For those who have had COVID, do you feel like your immune system sucks now?"
I've had it 3 confirmed times so far and feel like I am doomed to keep getting it and whatever else is going around at the time.
November 16, 2023:
r/COVID19Positive — "COVID has affected how I recover from other illnesses"
[...] ever since I've had COVID, I seem to get sick more often, I don't seem to be able to recover as quickly as I used to with other illnesses, especially colds.
November 25, 2023:
r/COVID19Positive — "Getting sick after Covid feels different?"
[...] has anyone else noticed that they feel worse than they used to when you get sick with a cold or something non-Covid?
December 22, 2023:
r/COVID19Positive — "Weak immune system after Covid?"
I'm feeling frustrated and am wondering if the frequency of illness is due to Covid or just random chance.
December 27, 2023:
r/COVID19Positive — "Immune system after getting COVID"
Before I got COVID, I felt like my immune system wasn't the best since I could easily get sick. However, I feel like I get sick way easier now and my symptoms are a little bit more "extreme".
December 30, 2023:
r/Supplements — "My immune system has been terrible this winter"
I'm finding getting ill so often quite frustrating given that I feel I'm quite healthy and I would like to get to the bottom of why my immune system is weak.
January 21, 2024:
r/COVID19Positive — "Covid destroyed my immune system"
Since having covid for the first time about 2 years ago, my immune system has been completely destroyed, I went from contracting a cold or the flu 2 times a year MAX to contracting it every month. In short terms, my immune system was incredible before Covid and since covid it's shite.
March 12, 2024:
r/LongCovid — "I'm getting sick more often since catching COVID-19"
I got covid for the second time in November. Since then, I've had strep, the flu (I can't remember the last time I got it), multiple colds, a stomach bug (i even fainted which never happened before), and more. Every single week in February I was sick except for one. Prior to covid, I RARELY got sick. But this year is different.
March 24, 2024:
r/Millennials — "Is anyone else's immune system totally shot since the 'COVID era'?"
I used to get sick once every other year or every year, but in the past six months I have: gotten COVID at Christmas, gotten a nasty fever/illness coming back from back-to-back work trips in January/February, and now I'm sick yet again after coming back from a vacation in California. It feels like I literally cannot get on a plane without getting sick, which has never really been a problem for me. Has anyone had a similar experience?
April 9, 2024:
r/COVID19Positive — "Is anyone else's immunity fucked?"
Ever since I had covid for the first time in 2021, I feel like I started getting sick more and more often, to the point where I've had a cold (or flu, or covid) every month since December last year.
April 18, 2024:
r/LongCovid — "Post Covid 'sickness'"
I got Covid this summer and ever since then I keep getting sick.
April 28, 2024:
r/COVID19Positive — "Post covid flu/infection"
Anyone else feels that the common cold/throat infection we used to get a couple of times a year pre covid now seems much much worse?
May 7, 2024:
r/COVID19Positive — "Anyone gotten consistently sick after getting COVID?"
Before getting COVID in March 2020, I got sick maybe 1-2x a year. I took a lot of pride in my immune system lol. After COVID, I did the math and I've been getting sick at least every over month.
May 17, 2024:
r/COVID19Positive — "Post Covid"
I'm pretty sure Covid has pretty much killed my son's immune system.
May 19, 2024:
r/COVID19Positive — "Constantly sick after getting covid in 2021"
Me & my whole family got covid on Christmas of 2021. We are all vaxed, (im triple vaxxed, theyre double) so luckily it only lasted a week and it wasnt too bad. Well ever since then ive been getting sick non stop for long periods of time, my family has been getting sick more often too.
June 7, 2024:
r/LongCovid — "Frequent infections/zero immunity to common colds"
For the past four years it seems like I have zero immunity on top of chronic fatigue and a slew of other lingering issues. Anyone else get taken out for weeks by a stomach bug or common cold (longer?) and end up needing antibiotics?
June 25, 2024:
r/COVID19positive — "Post Covid I get sick constantly"
I used to never get sick. To be honest, I’d say my immune system was pretty fantastic and I’d only get sick about once a year. I have now had Covid four times (fully vaxed) and I believe it has decimated my immune system. I’m catching a common cold close to twice a month and it is both incredibly frustrating and beyond depressing.
July 5, 2024:
r/LongCovid — "Anyone's immune system freak out from any little virus?"
Is it common for you to struggle constantly with infections post covid? It feels like my immune system is weakened and/or overactive. I get sick often and easily and my body struggles to fight it.
July 9, 2024:
r/CovidLongHaulers — "Never-ending onslaught of colds, flus and other no specific viruses"
So, since starting to feel like I was getting better from LC, I've also not stopped catching every single new cold or flu thing going around - and there is A LOT of them. This is very frustrating. I'm currently sick again now over a week, it feels like flu - I've done tests and apparently it's not flu, rhinivirus, covid, rsv etc etc - but it is SOMETHING, and I am well and truly over being continually sick.
August 25, 2024:
r/COVID19positive — "Getting sick every 2-3 months [...]"
Since that first time I got Covid I seem to be getting sick in the exact same way every 2 to 3 months [...]. I should be a normal healthy 20 year old, but I'd noticed that I would get abnormally sick abnormally often. I made sure to start cooking healthier for myself, start exercising, taking vitamins, fasting, and I'd left my job at a shop to take on something less taxing because I thought maybe the work environment was just that bad for my body. Nothing has helped, I thought that maybe I was fine and just complaining, but it's just too abnormal, I don't think someone my age should be getting sick as often as I am.
September 21, 2024:
r/LongCovid — "Anyone else getting sick all the time?"
I don't seem to have a normal immune system anymore.
October 2, 2024:
r/LongCovid — "Getting sick like clockwork every other month"
I've been getting chest cold symptoms about every 5-6 weeks for months now and needing my inhaler more than ever. I also discovered I had (reactivated) mono this summer.
References:
- The John Snow Project — Honesty About Covid is Essential for Progress
- [Covid Fact Sheet]