For many people it is their pre-existing health condition and possibly their age that will determine whether the outcome of any exposure to infectious disease will be benign, as annoying as a bad cold, or fatal. It is indeed very scary, especially for those within the areas most affected. It is ext remely well documented that nutritional status has a vital role in determining the outcome of pathogen exposure. Both bacteria and viruses are defended against by our immune systems. The human body immune defences can be amazingly efficient so long as they are adequately equipped. Deficiencies and even excesses of almost any nutrient can compromise our immune system. There are no super-nutrients. Proper, balanced nutrition can be critical for optimizing our immune response and at worst put our survival at risk. We cannot overcompensate a nutritional deficiency with an excess of another nutritional component. For example, a tonne of vitamin C will not compensate for a deficiency of selenium. In this scenario the immune system will still likely struggle.