"Cold weather itself makes you sick"

Question

Pretty much anyone believes that cold weather can get people sick, but this is only a myth. Colds and flu really do seem more common in the winter but the chill does not get you. Instead, low humidity and being indoors with others make it easier for germs to spread. Dry air dries out the membranes in your nose, so viruses can easily invade. In other words, again, it is germs and not temperature.

Comments

This article explores if cold weather causes colds. It takes on the common myth, yet myth busts it, arguing how cold weather is correlated to colds but doesn't cause. The article uses reliable facts and correlates them, such as how lower Vitamin D can lead to less production and thus more influenza. However, these facts are not fully trustworthy since they come from "research" and no specific reputable source to be fact checked. The article is more focused on symptoms and preventions towards sickness than the actual myth itself, so it is not well written. This article should not be deemed as reputable.

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Well said, I think that always looking into if there is causation or correlation on an issue is a very important trait to look at. I do wonder what other articles said on this question, as well as how trustworthy this source really is. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to look into what else they have claimed on other articles of theirs.

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I think this article isn't the most reliable but its content remains viable and truthful. This article from the mayo clinic would've added sense of credibility to you claim; https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/1-16mayo-clinic-minute-can-cold-weather-cause-a-cold/
I think the main reason we all get sick around this time is because of our proximity to the virus, being indoors most of the time. Prior to reading the article, I wouldn't have guessed humidity is a factor of sickness, but now I understand why a steamy shower can clear my airways temporarily while I'm sick!

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I think the main reason we all get sick around this time is because of our proximity to the virus, spending more time indoors. Before reading the article, I wouldn't have guessed humidity plays a role, but now I understand why a steamy shower can offer temporary relief. The paper delves into the common myth that cold weather causes colds, offering a more nuanced perspective. While it correctly points out a correlation between cold weather and increased illness, it doesn't definitively prove causation. The article cites lower Vitamin D levels as a potential factor, but lacks specific, reputable sources to fully support this claim. Ultimately, the article focuses more on symptoms and prevention than the core myth, making it less effective in addressing the topic. Therefore, it may not be considered a reliable source of information.

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I believe that the article listed in this claim is not the most reliable of sources, though the content within it is still truthful. While the article points out the relation between colder weather and increased illness, it fails to provide sound evidence towards causation. Instead focusing largely on symptoms and prevention options, rather than the core topic, thus making the claims and arguments made within much less effective. According to the Mayo Clinic, "The cold weather itself doesn't cause the common cold... the chances of spreading a respiratory virus go up because more time is spent indoors." Therefore, it is not the cold weather that is directly causing an uptick in viral infections, it is the fact that more people are indoors more often than when the weather is warm. This article did what the one linked in this claim could not, and provided more reasoning behind why there is typically an increase in illness during the winter months.

source:
https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/1-16mayo-clinic-minute-can-cold-weather-cause-a-cold/

Answer 1

Cold weather does not in itself cause a sickness or cold, but it may make some people more susceptible to catching a cold. However, most of the time, colds and illnesses go up during the colder times because you spend more time inside with other people that may consequently have colds. Mayo Clinic Minute piece on this subject.

https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/1-16mayo-clinic-minute-can-cold-weather-cause-a-cold/

Comments

I agree with you. The belief that cold weather causes colds is based on an old wives tale, and is not factual. However, being in close proximity with other people who are sick makes it much easier to catch colds. People are also often more busy during winter months with school and work, and being exposed to more germs and places

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I agree with your comment, especially how you brought up the reason that that is a misconception

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I agree with your statement! People often assume that being physically cold makes you more susceptible to illness, but there are many other factors at play. I believe you could provide more detail about what the article mentioned and how it supports your claim.

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I agree with you, as the seasons change you are most likely to get sick. Especially when the season is winter, your always most likely enclosed with people and that leads to germs being all in one space.

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This is an interesting point that I had never thought of! However, I think it would be beneficial to provide evidence to your claim that it's being around other people who are sick that makes us sick in the winter.

Answer 2

It is an old wife's tale that going outside in the cold will cause you to catch a cold. While people do tend to get sick more during the winter this is primarily due to 2 factors: more time actually spent indoors in closer proximity to people without proper ventilation and the lower humidity in the air causing nasal membranes to dry out, allowing more viral and bacterial invaders in.

Source: https://www.heart.org/en/news/2021/12/17/can-the-cold-really-make-you-sick

Comments

I like what you said and I thought that the joke you made to start it was quite funny. I checked the source that you posted, and it backs your claim. As someone who lives in a very cold environment during the winter I don't think cold weather leads to sickness but it is definitely important to stay warm during the cold season so that you don't make your body elevate its temperature, and  lead to the chance you get sick. So I think if you just wear the right clothes the cold doesn't lead to sickness. But overall great job on this fact check.

Answer 3

Many people believe that cold weather itself makes you sick, however, this is incorrect. The cold weather doesn't directly affect illness, but it can increase your risk at getting sick. Cold weather can cause weakened immune systems, more time indoors, dry nasal passages, and increased virus survival. Your immune system drops a little when it is colder out because it is putting in extra effort to keep you warm. People are indoors more often when it is cold outside, allowing the virus to pass more easily from one person to another. Even though the cold weather is correlated to getting sick, does not mean it is the direct cause of illness. 

https://www.unitypoint.org/news-and-articles/do-you-really-get-sick-from-being-cold

Comments

I like how you explained the connection between cold weather and illness—it’s easy to see why people might confuse correlation with causation. The way you laid out why cold weather indirectly increases our risk of getting sick was very clear and understandable. Also, nice job including the source for extra credibility!

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I agree with this fact check. being inside surrounded by others constantly allows viruses to travel and spread quicker than they would during the summer when people are outside. Also you would have to be outside for a prolonged amount of time before your immune system is weakened.

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I totally agree with your factcheck. There's a very clear correlation between coming down with a cold and the season. You did an amazing job getting this point across and backing it up with data from the article. Your response does a great job of summarizing the articles main points, and still staying true to your views.

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I like how you brought up that the cold weather does not directly affect illness, but it can increase your risk of getting sick

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This is a good source and I agree with you. As I was doing my research I found this other source: https://www.heart.org/en/news/2021/12/17/can-the-cold-really-make-you-sick. This explains that people do tend to get sick more during the winter this is primarily due to  more time being spent indoors being closer to people and the lower humidity in the air causing nasal membranes to dry out, allowing more viral and bacterial invaders in.

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Your factcheck is really good. You used a reliable source that clearly gave evidence for your fact check and you pointed out the difference between correlation and causation, which is something many people confuse. It is important to make clear that certain things being correlated doesn't mean one causes the other.

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Awesome response. I like how you listed multiple reasons to why people tend to get sick during the colder weather. Great job! Super clear and concise

Answer 4

Yes, it’s indeed a common misconception that cold weather directly causes illness, but science disagrees. Only pathogens—specifically viruses and bacteria—can actually cause infectious diseases like colds and the flu, which people often associate with winter. Unlike autoimmune, genetic, metabolic, or inflammatory diseases, which have diverse causes, infectious diseases spread through microbial agents, not temperature alone.

This myth is partly reinforced by language. In English, "cold" refers both to low temperatures and to the common cold, leading many to believe one causes the other. While colds and flu are indeed more prevalent in winter, this is a correlation, not causation. Studies confirm that low temperatures alone do not increase infection risk. For instance, a 1968 study published in The New England Journal of Medicine (https://www.nejm.org/doi/abs/10.1056/NEJM196810032791404) found that participants exposed to different temperatures while in contact with cold viruses showed no increased infection rates or severity or duration.

The seasonal rise in these illnesses can be explained instead by behavioral and environmental factors. In cold weather, people tend to gather indoors, in confined spaces with poor ventilation, which increases virus transmission. The News in Health article "Clearing the Air" discusses how such conditions make it easier for airborne viruses to spread (https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2023/12/clearing-air).

Humidity also plays a significant role. Viruses remain airborne longer in dry, winter air. Low humidity prevents moisture from forming around viral particles, allowing them to stay suspended and infectious for longer periods. Conversely, during warm, humid summer months, condensation weighs viruses down, causing them to fall out of the air more quickly. Furthermore, a 2023 study published in PNAS Nexus (https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/article/2/2/pgac301/6960684?login=false) found that, in an environment where the air is dry, all viruses causing infectious diseases are likely to stay twice as long in the drier air, in part because they are able to use the saliva emitted with them as a protective barrier.

While wearing warm clothing can help maintain body temperature, it doesn’t prevent infections. Scarves and similar items can act as partial barriers, reducing exposure to airborne virus particles. However, prolonged exposure to cold can reduce body temperature and lead to hypothermia, as described in Health Link BC's article on Hypothermia and Cold Temperature Exposure (https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/health-topics/hypothermia-and-cold-temperature-exposure).

In short, cold weather itself does not make you sick. Instead, it’s the indirect effects—like spending more time indoors and reduced humidity—that increase the risk of illness during colder months.

Comments

I really like how in depth you went with your factcheck, as it shows how much research you did on the subject. I also like that you cited your sources, and went into detail about how it isn't the cold weather itself that causes sickness, but rather the effects and behaviors that occur during cold weather that are the real issue. The original claim is misleading, as it has been passed down through generations as a myth and people began to believe it, but your use of sources and extensive detail help to clarify the real issue and may help aid with confusion.

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I really liked how clear you were with this factcheck, making sure to include definitions and address common misconceptions. It really showed your understanding in your research of this claim. You bolstered this original claim by finding not one, but multiple outside resources along with a citation that gave evidence for why cold weather doesn't necessarily cause illness, but indirectly through a variety of factors. My main question is, how did you choose which articles to use as evidence, for example why did you choose to cite a 1968 study? My only concern is that this is a little out of date, however this factcheck provided valid and reliable evidence to prove this claim false.

Answer 5

This claim is an old wives tale that states going outside while it is cold will make you sick. While it is true people get more sick during this period it is mostly for these two reasons: more time spent indoors and around others who may be sick and have more germs around you and the lower humidity in the air causing nasal membranes to dry out, which allows more viruses and bacteria to enter the body.

Source: https://www.heart.org/en/news/2021/12/17/can-the-cold-really-make-you-sick

Answer 6

The claim that cold weather directly makes a person sick is nothing more than an old wives tale/myth. The  New York Times article written by Karen Weintraub on February 23 2018 lists a doctors perspective to this question and states "People tend to link cold weather with colds, but that doesn’t mean there’s a cause and effect connection, Dr. Spinner said. “These viruses that cause us to catch a cold predominate during the winter months in this part of the world.” The article also talks about how cold weather changes people's everyday routines, "Plus, cold weather keeps people inside more. “We’re more likely to be in close quarters this time of year, close together among those who are already sick,” Dr. Michael L. Munger, a practicing family physician in Overland Park, Kan., said in an email. Home heating and humidity may also play a role in winter health, Dr. Spinner said. Running the heat to keep the house warm also dries it out — and can dry out our sinuses, too. “When you don’t have good nasal mucus flow, it’s harder for the immune system to work against the virus,” he said." Therefore Cold weather does not have a direct effect or link to sickness but rather is subjective and may cause routine activities that open the human body up to poorer health decisions. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/23/well/can-being-cold-make-you-sick.html

Answer 7

The idea that "cold weather itself makes you sick" is a common myth. Cold weather doesn’t directly cause illness, but it can create conditions that make it easier for viruses to spread and make people more susceptible to infection.

https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/can-winter-make-you-sick#:~:text=Cold%20weather%20may%20not%20be,more%20easily%20in%20the%20winter.

Answer 8

This claim is false. After research it shows that cold weather itself is not what makes you sick. It can be shown that it is a contributing factor but it is not what really makes you sick. You can not get a cold or flu from being in cold weather. You may be able to get hypothermia which can hurt your immune system but you are not going to be able to develop a disease that will get you sick. So this claim is just a myth we hear but it is not actually factual.

Article Used: https://www.unitypoint.org/news-and-articles/do-you-really-get-sick-from-being-cold

Answer 9

This claim is a myth. People get sick a lot more during colder seasons. But being cold doesn't directly correlate to getting sick. Being cold can only increase the chances of getting sick. https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/news/publications/health-matters/myth-masher-cracking-the-case-on-colds#:~:text=Myth%3A%20You'll%20catch%20a,the%20major%20cause%20of%20colds.

Answer 10

Cold weather itself may not make you sick, but it may be an indirect influence. Dry winter air helps viruses spread, and our bodies are not as effective at fighting these viruses in cold air. Despite this, staying inside to avoid these outcomes has evidence of actually being worse for you in the long run. Staying inside reduces vitamin D exposure, and these deficiencies have been linked to weakened immune systems. https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/can-winter-make-you-sick#:~:text=Cold%20weather%20may%20not%20be,more%20easily%20in%20the%20winter.