Ageing is associated with modified function of both innate and adaptive immunity. It is believed that changes occurring in ageing immune system are responsible for increased severity and deadliness of COVID-19 in the elderly. Although supported by statistics and epidemiology, these finding do not compute at the mechanistic level as depending solely on chronological and biological ageing. The phenomena describing changes in the aging immune system are immunosenescence and inflammageing, which develop in time depending on challenges to the individual immune system (immunobiography). Thus, “richer” immunobiography (in addition to other factors, including genetic, epigenetics or metabolic) may adversely affect the reactivity to the SARS-CoV-2 not only at later decades of life, but also earlier, in young and middle-aged individuals. On the other hand, infection with SARS-CoV-2 is affecting the function of both innate and adaptive branches of the immune system, adding to the individual immunobiography. Summarizing, immunosenescence and inflammaging may aggravate, but also may be aggravated by SARS-CoV-2 infection.

衰老与先天免疫和适应性免疫的功能改变有关。据信，衰老免疫系统发生的变化是导致老年人感染 COVID-19 的严重性和致命性增加的原因。尽管得到统计数据和流行病学的支持，但这些发现并不能在机械层面上进行计算，因为它们完全取决于时间顺序和生物老化。描述免疫系统老化变化的现象是免疫衰老和炎症，它们会根据个体免疫系统面临的挑战及时发展（免疫传记）。因此，“更丰富的”免疫传记（除了其他因素，包括遗传、表观遗传学或代谢）可能不仅在生命的后几十年对 SARS-CoV-2 的反应性产生不利影响，而且在青年和中年人的早期也可能产生不利影响个人。另一方面，SARS-CoV-2 感染正在影响免疫系统的先天性和适应性分支的功能，增加了个体免疫传记。综上所述，免疫衰老和炎症可能会加重，但也可能因SARS-CoV-2感染而加重。