Question: Does Cold Weather Cause the Cold or Flu?
This question has probably been asked since the first time the
flu made someone sick. After all, cold and flu season occurs when the weather
is cold, so there must be a connection, right? Well, not quite. No matter how
many times your mother and grandmother told you not to go out in the cold
because you would catch a cold or the flu, it just doesn’t work that way.
Answer:
The truth is, the flu and
the common cold are caused by viruses. People get sick more often in the winter
because they are exposed to each other more in the winter than in the summer.
When it is cold outside, people tend to stay inside and are more likely to
spread germs to one another. Also, because school is in session, kids are
around each other all day and are not afraid to share their germs. With so many
people in such close contact, the likelihood of passing germs is much higher
when it is cold outside than when it is warm and people are outdoors. There is
also evidence now that viruses spread more easily through dry air. When it is
cold outside, the air is drier both outdoors and inside (where people have
their heaters on) which may make it easier for germs to pass from one person to
another. But it is not the cold weather that causes the cold, it just
might make it easier to spread the virus.
In tropical areas, where
it does not get cold, the common cold and flu season generally occurs during
the rainy season. But again, these illnesses are not caused by the rain. They
are just more prevalent because people come in closer contact with each other
than they do during the dry season.
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