Washington DC, April 19: As the COVID-19 lockdown has most people staying indoors, many booze lovers are planning to spend the days with their favourite alcohol. But a recent study suggests that consuming excessive alcohol is not healthy for the immune system especially at a time when a global pandemic without any cure or vaccine is spreading across the globe.

"People drink because it mellows them," Fox News quoted Dr Shannon Sovndal, an ER doctor and author of 'Fragile' as saying. "Well, alcohol has a similar effect on the immune system, making it slow and lethargic," he added. Alcohol Withdrawal Management During COVID-19 Pandemic: Struggling to Find Liquor During Lockdown? Here's How to Deal With Withdrawal Symptoms.

As he explained the effect of alcohol consumption has in our body, he added that having one drink a day, light drinking, will likely only have a minimal effect. On the other hand, he added that heavier drinking can "dampen" all of your body's systems, including the immune system.

A report by Fox News earlier said that the immune system may see a brief boost about 20 minutes after "peak intoxication." However, 2 to 5 hours after getting drunk, that boost fades and the immune system significantly slows down.

Researchers have also noticed that a reduction in the white blood cells, which are important to immunity, along with an increase in proteins that reduce the immune system's effectiveness.

Excessive drinking makes it harder for the body to resist disease, according to The Mayo Clinic's findings. The Clinic also suggests that drinking heavily can have high chances to be prone to developing pneumonia, which is now a common illness developed among the people who suffer from severe symptoms due to COVID-19.