Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by wfz on March 29, 2020 at 9:36am

Not only people with weakened immune systems, but also 'normal' people die because of an overreaction of their immune system. I'm never sick and have alopecia Universalis but I'm worried, who knows...

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by JessicaStinkle on April 13, 2020 at 8:52am

This is an awesome question ! And I was actually wondering this same thing a little while ago, the only site I could find with info on alopecia specifically was the UK's alopecia site https://www.alopecia.org.uk/news/alopecia-and-covid-19-new-coronavirus ; basically you shouldn't be concerned about being at higher risk. When they say that ppl with autoimmune diseases are at higher risk they are referring more to people who are actually sick (like diabetes). The only reason you might want to be concerned with your alopecia is if you've been pumping chemicals into your body in the attempt to change your condition; that may weaken your immune system and lead to countless additional effects on it's own, which would include your ability to get sick easier. 

Also, to add on yours and wfz's comments on never being sick, I'm never sick either; there's absolutely no science behind my next comment but personally I think that if our immune systems are overrating by attacking our hair follicles they'll probably attack any diseases that come in as well. For once it may be better to be hairless and perhaps covid-19 will only attack hairy ppl!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by SabineTawni on April 15, 2020 at 10:34am

Same here, Jessica.  I don't get sick either.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by pablonitro on April 16, 2020 at 2:53am

Hi guys great responses 

Would be really interesting to know if we had some sort of cure within us , do you think the world would except being bald if it meant they wouldn't get sick? Or would vanity be to much of an obstacle for them? Personally now I've made peace with how I look but at the start it was so hard mentally having your whole look just blanked out 

Hope your all doing well & stay safe x

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by wfz on September 25, 2020 at 7:40am

It seems the Coronavirus severe cases have declined serum levels or problems with the production of serum levels of the "interferon" type 1. Most likely due to a defect in genes. Interferon is involved in the body's immune defense with T-cells etc to attack a virus for example. 

This is what I read, I am not an expert!

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2020/09/23/science.abd...

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2020/09/23/science.abd...

When I search for "interferon" type 1 serum levels in Alopecia - Areata/Universalis patients the interferon serum levels are higher than controls (people without AA/AU). 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14965793/

I hope this might explain why people with AA/AU are hardly ever sick as our immune system is always ready to detect viruses etc in our body. I do hope this benefits us (for once) when attacked by Covid-19.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by JessicaStinkle on September 25, 2020 at 12:18pm

So I think this is the second time in my life that I've even heard the word serum but that is super interesting the link you noticed with alopecia. Thanks for this info! Just thinking out loud now; when I was young I had a super weird illness that my doctor claimed as serum sickness (all my joints swelled up, I could barely walk, and I felt like death haha), I wonder if that has any relation to the alopecia now or if anyone else has had this?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by wfz on December 8, 2020 at 2:02pm

All I can say never heard about it, and I didn't have such sickness. 

• ▶ Reply