Got Covid? Curb the Cocktails!

By Alison Adduono, Director of Marketing Communications

As many gather to celebrate the joyous holiday season, “spirits” (those of both the emotional and alcoholic persuasions) are sure to flow. But if you have Covid-19 ---- you may just want to hold off on those wines, beers, and cocktails.

While some of us probably grew up under the old-school rule-of-thumb or old wives’ tale that “a little nip” of brandy or hot toddy would cure all that ailed you… that isn’t necessarily the case. In fact, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) alcohol does not kill the Covid virus or protect you from it at all. The WHO has actually taken a pretty firm stance on the consumption of alcohol and has prepared a Fact Sheet in regards to it and Covid-19. Heavy use may even lead to an increased risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), one of the most severe Covid-19 complications.

Theoretically, alcohol can slow the function of cells (responsible for clearing pathogens from the lungs) that line the respiratory tract. And if those cells aren’t functioning properly, SARS-CoV-2 virus particles could have easier access to the lungs. Alcohol could potentially also increase your risk of other respiratory conditions, such as pneumonia.

Will alcohol affect your immune system?

In an article for Business Insider, Nate Favini, MD stated:

“A moderate amount of drinking — one drink per day for women, and two drinks per day for men per the United States Dietary Guidelines for Americans — is generally safe for people in good health and unlikely to have a negative effect on their immune systems. Anything above that, regardless of time period, is exposing your body to more alcohol than is ideal. By damaging those cells in your intestines, it can make it easier for pathogens to cross into your bloodstream."

Essentially, drinking too much decreases your body's defenses against colds, viruses, and other bacterial or viral infections.

There is a possibility that a compromised immune system and increased susceptibility to respiratory illness will lead to symptoms of COVID-19 being more severe and a greater risk of mortality.

A 2021 clinical study that reviewed self-reported alcohol consumption revealed that patients developing ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome) consumed more drinks of alcohol per week than patients free of ARDS (7.0 drinks: IQR, 5.0–20.0 vs. 3.0 drinks: IQR, 2.0–8.0; P 5 0.010). Now while this study was small, the authors concluded that assessing the alcohol consumption habits of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 may be useful to identify patients at increased risk of a poor in-hospital prognosis.

In the case of Covid specifically, David Fiellin, MD, director of the Yale Program in Addiction Medicine expressed an opinion:

“In general, because we know that alcohol has a negative impact on the lungs and the immune system, we believe it will be associated with more severe cases of COVID-19 disease. Alcohol can damage the intestinal lining, which then allows bacteria to enter the body more easily. That can ‘rev up’ the inflammatory response, which is also a big part of COVID-19 disease.”

Dehydration

Alcohol, as well as caffeinated drinks, can even have a dehydrating effect which could cause you to lose electrolytes. Family medicine physician Amit Mehta, MD, medical director of community medicine for Geisinger in Centre County recommends staying hydrated.

“Drink at least 64 to 70 ounces of water every day. If you become dehydrated, it can make your symptoms even worse.”

Electrolytes can be lost during fever-induced sweating, which can be replaced with 50/50 mixtures of water with electrolyte-rich sports drinks like Powerade or Gatorade.

How to boost your immune system this winter

In an interview with KWQC, Dr. Robert Mixsell, Medical Director for Genesis Convenient Care recommended:

“Having a healthy regular diet full of fruits, vegetables, lean meats, limiting your saturated fats, and added sugars. Getting plenty of sleep, at least seven hours of sleep can help boost your immune system. If you smoke, quit smoking, that’ll help, and then moderating your alcohol intake. All of these things affect the amount of inflammation in your body, and the less inflammation there is, the better your immune system is going to work.”

Other Risks

In addition to its affecting one’s immunity, alcohol could also have a cross-reaction with any over the counter or prescription medications you may be taking for Covid. This could result in one or more of the following:

Interfering with how medications are absorbed making them less effective
Raising the concentration of the medication in your blood to toxic levels potentially resulting in an overdose
May worsen or create new side effects of a medication such as:
- Mood swings and/or behavior changes
- Dizziness and/or lack of coordination
- Headaches
- Nausea and vomiting
- Changes in blood pressure

So, as we enter the holiday season, in addition to taking the usual Covid precautions such as using sanitizers, washing hands, covering coughs, and masking and testing when necessary, make sure you are cautious with the cocktails. An overindulgence could lead to an increase in risk taking behavior or letting one’s guard down (i.e. not wearing a mask around infected people) and could even effect how quickly you rebound from Covid in the event you catch it. Stay well.

Resources:

Where Speed, Efficiency, & Accuracy Align

The AscencioDx® Covid-19 Test and The AscencioDx® Molecular Detector have not been FDA cleared or approved, but have been authorized for emergency use by FDA under an EUA for use by authorized laboratories. This product has been authorized only for the detection of nucleic acid from SARS-CoV-2, not for any other viruses or pathogens. The emergency use of this product is only authorized for the duration of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of emergency use of in vitro diagnostics for detection and/or diagnosis of COVID-19 under Section 564(b)(1) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360bbb-3(b)(1), unless the declaration is terminated or authorization is revoked sooner.

The Emergence of RSV: A Physician’s Perspective