nicepage domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home/biomedhk/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6121it-l10n-ithemes-security-pro domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home/biomedhk/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6121image-optimization domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home/biomedhk/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6121tpebl domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home/biomedhk/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6121phlox-pro 的語言套件載入過早觸發，這通常是由於外掛或佈景主題某些程式碼中的指示器過早執行所造成，而語言套件應該在 init 動作之後才載入。 請參閱〈WordPress 的偵錯功能〉以進一步了解相關資訊。 (這項訊息新增於 6.7.0 版) in /home/biomedhk/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6121相信呼吸道感染可能是近年最受關注的傳染病，害得全球雞犬不寧的2019新型冠狀病毒感染更是一個活生生的例子。以新冠病毒感染為例，病毒除了侵襲肺部，導致呼吸道感染等問題，也會破壞腸道細胞，刺激免疫系統產生大量促進發炎的信號，造成細胞因子風暴（cytokine storm），更有可能觸發其他器官發炎和衰竭。而在腸道方面，新冠肺炎患者也往往伴有腹瀉，這使得腸道內伺機性病原菌和有害細菌增加，有益細菌卻減少。
中大硏究團隊分析15位病患住院期間的腸道菌，發現腸道細菌失衡的程度，糞便中的病毒數量和疾病的嚴重程度緊密聯繫。根據瑞典卡羅林斯卡學院的Rao教授，研究腸道菌、肺部菌與免疫力之間的關係，發現肺部發炎源來自腸道。由此可見，缺乏腸道益生菌會降低免疫力，成為呼吸道感染的缺口。患上冠狀病毒等呼吸道感染的患者，他們的腸道微生物組群又會再次出現生態失衡，有益細菌不足，有害細菌增加，引致免疫系統病變，並增加後續感染的風險。要減低患病機會，加強自身免疫力可進食有助腸道平衡的益生菌，預防腸道細菌感染的惡性循環。
益生菌（Probiotics），是指補充後對人體有益的微生物，是腸道所需有益菌的總稱。有益菌，是人體健康不可缺少的要素，可以合成各種維他命，葉酸和短鏈脂肪酸，幫助食物的消化，促進腸道蠕動，抑制致病菌群的生長，分解有害和有毒物質等
植物乳桿菌（Lactobacillus plantarum）可以減低呼吸道感染風險和降低感染嚴重程度；加氏乳桿菌（Lactobacillus gasseri）、長雙歧桿（Bifidobacterium longum）和雙歧雙歧桿菌（Bifidobacterium bifidum）可以縮短流感症狀持續的時間，而短杆乳桿菌（Lactobacillus brevis）也呈現類似的效果；服用鼠李糖乳桿菌（Lactobacillus rhamnosus）的新生嬰兒的呼吸道感染率降低二至三倍；乾酪乳桿菌（Lactobacillus casei）也有減少呼吸道感染的發生頻率和嚴重程度的作用。