Source: Vejon Health

Is COVID Causing Immune Collapse? The Science Behind the Claims

11 April 2026

In this interview, I sit down with Joachim Gerlach, the lead author of a provocative new paper exploring whether persistent spike protein exposure may be driving a broader pattern of immune dysfunction in the post-pandemic era. We take a hard look at the science behind the claims, including immune dysregulation, T-cell exhaustion, interferon suppression, stem-cell vulnerability, and the reported rise in opportunistic infections.

The key question is whether this represents true immune deficiency or a more complex state of chronic immune maladaptation. Rather than simply accepting the conclusions, I challenge the framework directly and explore what is supported by evidence, what remains hypothesis, and what clinicians should actually be measuring in patients today. If you are interested in long COVID, persistent inflammation, viral persistence, macrophage-driven disease, or the future of immune phenotyping, this discussion goes to the heart of one of the most important scientific debates of the post-pandemic period.