[Typhoid]

As I said to Dylan today:


I believe Jacob's touch makes them incapable of dying. Think about it. Jacob physically touched each person at some point to be a 'candidate', and while his touch may not have physically brought them to the Island, it made it sure they would survive until the candidacy was complete. It would explain how Locke survived his fall, Charlie survived OD's, they all survived the Plane crash, and can go through physically traumatic things on the Island and seem to always be okay. Only when their candidacy is removed, are they then not protected by 'the gift' given to them - alluded to by Richard.