Does The Cold Give You A Cold?
Morning Sniffy!
Have you ever been outside, playin in the snow, with just a sweater on before?
And then your moms like:
Let's look into it.
So, it turns out about 5-20% of Americans catch a cold or flu every year around the start of winter.
That can’t just be a coincidence right?
Well… there is one really important fact you need to consider
Colds and the flu are Viruses.
So, if there aren’t any Viruses about, you simply can’t get the cold or the flu.
Doesn’t matter how cold it is.
Does that mean you're right and your parents are wrong??
Not so fast…
Ok, then why do so many people think:
There's actually 4 main reasons…
Reason 1:
Think about it, when it's cold, more people wanna huddle up indoors.
Naturally, this puts them in contact with more people.
And more people = easier for viruses to spread.
Reason 2:
When it's winter the sun’s not out that often.
Because it's cloudy most of the time and the days are literally shorter.
So people tend to lack Vitamin D.
(which they usually get from the sun)
This can actually affect our immune system, meaning we become worse at fighting off viruses when we do get them.
Reason 3:
In winter, humidity tends to decrease.
And not only do viruses do much better when it's less humid, but all the mucus in your nose all but dries up.
Normally this mucus is the body's first layer of defense against a virus trying to sneak in.
Reason 4:
Finally, viruses actually have a secret weapon.
In the cold, a virus’s outer layer becomes much tougher and kinda acts like a shield.
So it can last longer in people and survive the elements a lot better.
This means it can spread from person to person MUCH more easily.
Whereas in warmer temperatures the outer shell is more like a gel.
Not really strong enough to withstand much.
Ye, maybe Durds mom wasn’t so wrong after all…
Stay Cute,
Reece, Henry & Dylan 🌈
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