I think there is something to viruses being a big agent of aging. I'm 40 and recently came down with a bad case of norovirus, followed by some kind of flu-like thing. 3 weeks of illness. Afterwards, I felt as if I had aged 10 years, and looking into the mirror it was like looking at what I will probably look like at 50.

It made me wonder how much of aging is mediated by damage from infection, which we fight off, but come out of weaker for it.

It certainly makes me want to double check all my vaccines, and once my kids are older, practice a little better hygiene including things like masking up in tight spaces (pretty much impossible with a 6 and 9 year old in the house, they are the vector right now).