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I always used to wonder if winter was the cause of colds and getting sick. For a long time, I remember my mom always telling me to bundle up before going out when it got cold. And so naturally, I always associated cold weather with catching a cold.
To this day, despite the fact that I am a grown adult, I still hear my mom's voice in my head, telling me to wear "warm" clothes and wear a hat etc... But is there any truth to this?
Well, alot of people have been researching this phenomenon of how cold weather and catching a cold are associated.
So I will share a few links below that show how this is a possible.
So I will share a few links below that show how this is a possible.
First off, temperature has a lot to do with virus replication.
This study is specific for studying Rhinovirus, which is the most common cause of the common cold. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4311828/
This study is specific for studying Rhinovirus, which is the most common cause of the common cold. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4311828/
Basically, this is saying that lower temperatures in the nasal passage allow for greater replication of the rhinovirus in the nasal passage.
But this alone does not explain why cold weather is so closely correlated with catching a cold.
This link talks about how colder weather allows for greater more effective transmission of the cold viruses. https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/flu-virus-fortified-colder-weather
This link talks about how colder weather allows for greater more effective transmission of the cold viruses. https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/flu-virus-fortified-colder-weather
"The virus's rubbery outer coat, the researchers believe, allows it to withstand cooler temperatures and travel from person to person. In the respiratory tract, the body's warmth causes the covering to melt so that the virus can infect the cells of its new host."
obviously this is written in more layman's terms to allow for easier understanding.
So far, we talked about colder temperature and virus coating as two factors which allow for greater transmission.
The third factor here is dry air. https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/dry-air-may-spur-flu-outbreaks
The third factor here is dry air. https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/dry-air-may-spur-flu-outbreaks
"Epidemiological analyses, spurred by experimental data on influenza virus transmission and stability, have identified absolute humidity and temperature as climatic predictors of influenza epidemics in temperate regions of the world." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4097773/
So anyways, this thread is not to give any medical advice, but simply to make everyone understand how the common cold spreads. Research is still being conducted, so lets see what they continue to find.
