It is winter and respiratory diseases are everywhere. Will it make me going out in the cold weather sick? | Donna Lu

IT was inevitable that I, as Oscar Wilde said, became like my mother. After decades of saying, “Wearing more clothes! You will get a cold!” Now, despite the best knowledge, I insist on it for my daughter.

“Another layer!” I ask my partner, who is already firmly firmly like a small child like a Michelin man. The scientific part of my mind realizes that any jacket will protect it from the daytime sponsorship attack. However, I am convinced that the door should be avoided or exited from the wet door in the winter at any cost.

Is screaming about hunting a person’s death just the stories of old wives transmitted like a family heritage, or is there a hint of the truth in the warnings?

The story of ancient wives or a hint of truth?

“People get more colds when the weather is cold,” says Hassan Valley, Associate Professor of Epidemiology at Dikin University. “It is very natural for humans Look for patternsHe says, but he indicates that the relationship is not causal.

“You will not get cold by going out in the cold,” says Dr. Larissa Labzen of the Institute of Molecular Biological Sciences.

To develop cold symptoms, you should develop a virus, whether it is a nasal virus, crown viruses, glandular viruses, respiratory virus (RSV) or any of more than 200 strains that cause common cold. Although influenza may appear with similar symptoms, influenza viruses can cause more severe disease.

However, Labzin says, the weather has a significant effect on the spread of these viruses. “Moisture decreases a lot in winter – it’s really dry, and your skin really dries – this helps in reality viruses.”

Labzaz says that moisture in the air impedes the transmission of air portable viruses, which means “there is low humidity and someone around you suffers from influenza, so it will be better transferred at another distance.”

Honorable diseases of their peak in the winter in moderate areas, but indicates that the tropics-where the temperatures differ less throughout the year-do not see the same seasonal nails. The rainy season in many tropical areas has been linked to a greater activity flu and Rsv – Which may seem intuitive because the surrounding moisture is higher.

one hypothesis This may explain both winter epidemics in moderate areas and the rainy season in the behavioral tropical areas: people spend more time inside to avoid cold and wet.

“It is certain that cold temperatures encourage people to gather inside, which increases its transmission,” says Professor Nathan Bartlet of Newcastle University. A cold day keeps us inside for an hour to two hours on average, and rainy weather is more than 30 minutes, according to One estimate.

More cold temperatures

Although cold will not necessarily lead to a cold, there is evidence that prominent temperatures affect immunity, says Vally.

“There is no greater chance to catch the virus, but our immunity response is also somewhat diminishing,” he agrees to a decade.

“Function and Dried air allows the transmission of viruses more efficiently and suppress the fungal immune defenses in Nose clips – It is the place where these viruses enter. “

In the dry weather in the winter, the mucous kitchen that plays our air role-which plays an important role in besieging the inhaled materials-becomes thicker, making it difficult for hair-like cells in the airways to remove the besieged particles and pathogens.

The least exposure to sunlight – necessary for our skin to produce vitamin D – in cold months may have an effect on immunity. “There is evidence that vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor to increase respiratory infections during the winter,” says Bartlett. While a Systematic review – The most powerful form of scientific evidence – I found that vitamin D supplements can help protect against respiratory infections, Other results It indicates that supplements “are unlikely to have a clinical -related effect” in Australia, given that the severe shortage is not common here.

Cold exposure can also be physical pressure. “Whenever your body is under pressure, you can get a transient repression of your immune responses,” says Valley. “If you are in -20 ° C without a coat, your body will be greatly tense, just as it will be very tense if it runs the marathon race.”

Ironically, some small Studies have found that repeated exposure to cold water stimulates the immune system slightly, indicating that swimmers in the usual winter are developing Adaptive changes.

Ultimately, catching a cold from a “complex interaction between the virus, the host and the environment,” says Bartlet. “The three in a permanent flow of flow – and winter coincide with changes in all these factors.”

How to avoid winter Lurgies

“For influenza, for Covid, it is clear that there are vaccines available,” says Labzaz, noting that the RSV jury is now recommended for the unacceptable groups. “The best protection … is vaccinated.”

Influenza vaccination rates In Australia, at all age groups, it dramatically decreased from 2020 numbers.

“It is important that people not take antibiotics for viral infection, because antibiotics will not do anything,” says Labzaz, noting the increasing issue of resisting antimicrobials.

Reducing the transmission by practicing good hygiene, wearing a breathing mask and staying at home while patients are familiar to most Covid’s pandemic – the same advice applies to the common cold.

Donna Lu is an auxiliary news editor in the Guardian Australia

Antivial is a column every two weeks that interrogate the evidence behind healthy headings and popular wellness demands