By: Sahal Saleh
Whenever I get sick, my parents are quick to assume that I either 1) went outside while it was raining, 2) didn’t cover up properly in cold weather, or 3) went outside too soon after taking a shower.
I’ve often respectfully brushed these concerns aside, but I made sure to dress properly to appease my parents. However, I decided to take a closer look into these ideas to try to get a sense of where my parents were coming from.
When health care professionals talk about “getting sick,” they are often talking getting infected with germs. These germs are what make us sick, and not the cold weather itself. Some types of germs include bacteria and viruses, which are often responsible for sicknesses and diseases ranging from the common cold to pneumonia.
The question becomes: does cold weather affect germs? In the United States, it is known that influenza (flu) viruses are most common during the fall and winter months. One explanation for this finding by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggests that influenza viruses are more active in colder weather because their protective outer gel turns into a gel that gives it an increased ability to spread from person to person. Another explanation as to why the flu is much more active in the winter is because dry air allows the flu virus to survive and transmit itself more easily.
Believing that cold weather can get you sick is not in and of itself dangerous. However, the issue arises when we place too much emphasis on the weather and not enough on our actions that can prevent such illnesses. By knowing what causes illnesses, namely germs, we as individuals can then take the necessary precautions to prevent getting sick. For example, we can teach children proper hand hygiene in an effort to stop the spread of germs -- and illnesses.