{"id":13310,"date":"2024-12-29T22:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-29T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/?p=13310"},"modified":"2024-12-13T07:19:00","modified_gmt":"2024-12-13T07:19:00","slug":"winter-colds-viruses-public-health-nurse-science-season-december-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/winter-colds-viruses-public-health-nurse-science-season-december-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Why winter makes you more vulnerable to colds \u2013 a public health nurse explains the science behind the season"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n Respiratory viruses rise in the wintertime, but not because people are outside in the cold.\n gilaxia\/E+ via Getty Images<\/a><\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n\n Libby Richards<\/a>, Purdue University<\/a><\/em><\/span>\n\n

You\u2019ve probably heard \u201cDon\u2019t go outside in the winter with your hair wet or without a coat; you\u2019ll catch a cold.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

That\u2019s not exactly true. As with many things, the reality is more complicated. Here\u2019s the distinction: Being cold isn\u2019t why you get a cold. But it is true that cold weather makes it easier to catch respiratory viruses such as the cold and flu. <\/p>\n\n

Research also shows that lower temperatures are associated with higher COVID-19 rates<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

As a professor of nursing <\/a> with a background in public health, I\u2019m often asked about infectious disease spread, including the relationship between cold and catching a cold. So here\u2019s a look at what actually happens. <\/p>\n\n

Many viruses, including rhinovirus<\/a> \u2013 the usual culprit for the common cold \u2013 influenza, and SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, remain infectious longer and replicate faster in colder temperatures and at lower humidity levels<\/a>. This, coupled with the fact that people spend more time indoors and in close contact with others during cold weather, are common reasons that germs are more likely to spread.<\/p>\n\n

The flu<\/a> and respiratory syncytial virus<\/a>, or RSV, tend to have a defined fall and winter seasonality<\/a>. However, because of the emergence of new COVID-19 variants and immunity from previous infections and vaccinations decreasing over time, COVID-19 is not the typical cold-weather respiratory virus<\/a>. As a case in point, COVID-19 infection rates have surged every summer since 2020<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

Virus transmission is easier when it\u2019s cold<\/h2>\n\n

More specifically, cold weather can change the outer membrane<\/a> of the influenza virus, making it more solid and rubbery. Scientists believe that the rubbery coating makes person-to-person transmission<\/a> of the virus easier.<\/p>\n\n

It\u2019s not just cold winter air that causes a problem. Air that is dry in addition to cold has been linked to flu outbreaks. That\u2019s because dry winter air<\/a> further helps the influenza virus to remain infectious longer. Dry air, which is common in the winter, causes the water found in respiratory droplets to evaporate more quickly. This results in smaller particles, which are capable of lasting longer and traveling farther<\/a> after you cough or sneeze.<\/p>\n\n

How your immune system responds during cold weather also matters a great deal. Inhaling cold air<\/a> may adversely affect the immune response in your respiratory tract, which makes it easier for viruses to take hold. That\u2019s why wearing a scarf over your nose and mouth may help prevent a cold because it warms the air that you inhale.<\/p>\n\n

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