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by ceejayoz 2221 days ago
> I wonder if after 17 weeks of isolation their immune systems atrophied due to limited exposure to pathogens...

I keep seeing this idea floated around.

Our entire concept of vaccinations would fail if a few weeks of isolation could collapse your immune system. We retain immunity for decades against diseases like measles that our bodies may not see at all during that time period.

None of us has a living environment approaching anything like a clean room, either, no matter how fastidious the housekeeping.