Views
The common cold can strike at any time. But there are certain periods throughout the year where the prevalence of illness goes way up. These peak times usually come during the cold winter months, which over the years has led to much popular speculation about flu transmission. Probably the most repeated adage is that the cold weather somehow makes us susceptible to catching a cold (I mean, it is called a cold, after all). Braving the weather without the proper clothing??? Boy, you’ll get sick. Going outside with wet hair??? You’re done for. But with just a little knowledge of microbiology and physiology, the logic of these beliefs start to break down. Sure, protecting yourself from the elements is sound general advice, but just how the heck does exposure to the cold stir up those flu virons within?
| Expand to read more... |
|---|
|
Apologies to all the moms out there, but throwing on a jacket before you go out in the cold probably does very, very little to thwart those pesky viruses. So why then is there a flu season, and why does it always seem to coincide with the winter months? A more reasonable explanation is that during cold weather, people have less of a tendency to be outside, and a greater tendency to cohabitate closed quarters. That means offices, classrooms, buses, etc. will all have their windows and doors closed, which means greater circulation of the air within, which means grater dispersion of that bacterial infection from the gent coughing up a storm a few seats away. So, yes, indirectly, cold weather creates an atmosphere conducive for the spread of illness. New research suggests there may be a more direct link as well. Recent studies in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science and PLoS Biology indicate that atmospheres with low humidity enhance survival of airborne influenza virons, which means the virus mr. sneezey has unleashed upon the environment will survive just a bit longer during the low humidity months associated with winter – perhaps just long enough to find a nice new host to embed itself within. Adding more weight to the authors’ assertion, flu epidemics over the last 30 years were shown to correlate with the onset of periods with unusually low humidity. So, if you really want to avoid getting sick, trade in that jacket and scarf for a good face mask and indoor humidifier. Or, if you prefer not to look like a freaking weirdo (in public, at least) you could just suck it up and endure the inevitable.
Leave a Comment |
| The above content has been placed in a collapsed box for improved usability. |
Apr 06 2010 9:30 am
test
Apr 06 2010 9:33 am
I have a hunch that cold weather may trigger a virus that has long since invaded it's host, but had remained dormant until the conditions were perfect for reproduction.
Apr 06 2010 1:30 pm
Ha. Interesting you should say that, as I was just discussing with someone how odd it is that after a prolonged bout of stress people tend to get sick. I can think of a couple of times I had a rigorous semester/quarter and the minute i have a break or the quarter ends, bam, illness sets in. But it's not during the period of stress when sickness hits - when I would assume the body is most vulnerable. It's like the body knows you got to keep it together for a bit longer, and moment you get some time off, you finally deal with the virus. I don't think this has anything to do with the weather, but it does exemplify how indirect outside stimuli may trigger or at least influence the onset of illness.