During the recovery period the patient's cells counts generally continue to develop. It may be a year to two years before the immune system is fully functioning. During this period infection can cause a serious problems for patients, sometimes death. This includes staying away from people with colds, flu viruses or any other infectious disease. The leukocytes play a major role in defending the body against disease-producing bacteria, viral and fungal infections.
Monocytes defend the body against bacterial infection.
Granulocytes are subdivided into neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils. Neutrophils are predominant, accounting for 60 percent of all white cells. Granulocytes combat infection by increasing in numbers to engulf and destroy foreign substances. Once this task is completed they quickly return to their original pre-infection number. Lymphocytes consist of two types of cells, which combine forces to create a complex interaction to regulate the immune response.