THE RIGHT QUESTIONS: Do Microbiome Variations Determine the Severity of Exposure Response To Coronavirus?

Given the variety of reactions to and severity of symptoms after exposure to the coronavirus, one has to wonder why some people get very ill, and others don’t. Other viruses, such as herpes 1 & 2, as well as polio and AIDS, don’t survive well in Petri dishes populated with certain species of gut flora. I wonder whether the variation in exposure responses to coronavirus may be mapped onto who’s who inside our guts?

Our skulls have been drilled with this statistic: bacteria outnumber every human cell by ten to one. Now, consider that every single human being (even identical twins) has a distinct microbiome. It means each individual is hosting trillions of bacteria, and potentially hundreds to thousands of species. There are somewhere around seven billion human bacterial hosts walking the planet. All-day, every day we roam through a viral and bacterial jungle. Once upon a time, this sounded like science fiction but it’s a glaring reality these days.

Here’s where things get interesting. When it comes to genetic depth, humans are pretty mingy compared to our microbiome. We each contribute approximately thirty thousand genes to our pool of personal genetic material. One’s microbiome contributes thirty MILLION genes to our own private gene pool. Compare the vastness and variety of genes contained by our microbiome to our rather meager human genome. Our microbiome contributes a plethora of genetic material to the 30,000 genes we once considered the backbone of our humanity.

Now it gets science-fictiony again: bacteria and viruses TRADE GENES inside of nasty slimy biofilms. These are pockets of infection that accumulate where we have implants, metals, and other stuff we weren’t born with. Just wondering again – are the folks who are succumbing to coronavirus rife with biofilms, which have been linked to autoimmune and diseases and otherwise compromised immunity?

We are OWNED by our microbiome, for better or worse. You thought that craving for a donut was yours? Think again. Bacteria’s got cravings – not just for donuts, but all sorts of carbs, fats, and proteins. When we diet and change our food choices, our microbiome notices. They want what they want, which is generally what they’re used to. It’s not just the behavior (cravings) of the bacteria themselves – the genes from your microbes make a distinct contribution to your health, including your cravings.

Over millions of years, we evolved with a considerable variety of viruses and bacteria in relative environmental balance and symbiosis, but now things are changing. After generations of exposure to antibiotics, pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, not to mention antibacterial soaps and wipes (now a massive feature of daily life), our bacterial portfolio has been whittled down to a much narrower depth than our ancestors enjoyed. That means we are all more susceptible to insults from invading viruses and the questionable strategies of opportunistic bacterial species. Without sufficient depth and breadth in our personal bacterial portfolio, we are in danger of succumbing to conditions associated with our current lack of bacterial diversity, including autism, autoimmune diseases, chronic inflammatory conditions, depression, ADD, ADHD, schizophrenia, bipolar, even dyslexia. And now possibly coronavirus.

Gut permeability (leaky gut) can result from acute bacterial infection, poor diet, and over-exposure to antibiotics. Leaky gut leads to gut dysbiosis – which is another way of saying an unbalanced bacterial portfolio. Dysbiosis is what happens when the finely tuned balance and diversity of our gut microorganisms go awry. An initial insult that catalyzes the development of gut problems could be an acute infection of the gut caused by virulent bacteria.

Think of food poisoning. You know – gas, bloating, stomach cramps, constipation, diarrhea, vomiting or all of the above in an intermittent dance of acute discomfort. Probably not the version of embodied autonomy you had in mind. I can’t help but think that the variety of responses to exposure to coronavirus might have something to do with the personal profile of gut flora in any given individual and their history of acute gastrointestinal distress.

The vast majority of our mega-trillions of bacteria make their living in our gut. Healing, sealing, and caring for our gut lining is an essential aspect of reining in pathogens and building immunity. The Gut Associated Lymphoid Tissue or GALT is the seat of 85% of our immune response. Maybe a good time to bone up on bone broth and start chowing down on some fermented veggies – for all of our immunity’s sake.