"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

I agree with this claim. The evidence and source provided explain how this misconception can be tied to the shift in human habits during colder months as people spend much more time inside in close quarters with others which helps infections spread as well as how the cold causes dryness in the body weakening germ fighting abilities as well as the increase of time that respiratory illnesses linger in the air all this combined with lower vitamin d levels support your claim and defend it. Your source is also medically reviewed so overall good claim and response!

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This turns into the myth that the cold weather is the cause of illness. This article means that colds are actually more prevalent in winter due to other factors, including the dry air, people being indoors more with close contact, and lower levels of vitamin D. These conditions, it is evident that viruses would have the most opportunities for easy spread. Another article from Northwestern Medicine corroborates this notion, further cementing the fact that it is not the cold that makes people sick, but how winter affects our bodies and behaviors.

Source: Northwestern Medicine

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The notion that cold weather itself causes sickness is untrue. The article from Northwestern Medicine explains that cold weather itself does not directly cause illness, but it can increase the likelihood of getting sick. Cold air weakens the body's ability to fight viruses in the nose and upper airways, making it easier for viruses like the common cold, flu, and COVID-19 to spread in winter. Dry winter air can also help viruses spread more effectively. While cold temperatures don’t directly make you sick, they can create conditions that make the body more susceptible to illness.

https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/can-winter-make-you-sick

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This is a good breakdown of why people get sick more often in the winter! One thing you could add is how behavior changes in colder months and also plays a role in higher illness rates. For example, holiday gatherings, school, and reduced ventilation indoors. Otherwise this is great!

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You bring up a good point about how humidity and being indoors with a lot of people matter more than just the temperature. Plus, it's worth noting that cold weather can mess with our immune systems. Some studies say that being in the cold for a long time might weaken our defenses a bit, making us more likely to catch something. So, while being cold doesn’t directly make us sick, it can definitely play a role.

Answer 1

The belief that cold weather directly causes illness is a common misconception. Infections are caused by viruses and bacteria, not temperature alone. However, environmental factors associated with winter can increase susceptibility to illness. According to Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, cold weather drives people indoors, where close contact enhances the spread of viruses like the flu and common cold (Schaffner, 2023). Additionally, research from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that cold air weakens the immune response in nasal passages, making it easier for viruses to enter the body (Huang et al., 2022). A study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology also highlights how dry winter air reduces moisture in mucous membranes, impairing the body's ability to trap and expel pathogens (Kudo et al., 2019). These findings reinforce that while the cold is not the direct cause of illness, the conditions it creates make infections more likely. To mitigate risk, experts recommend frequent handwashing, wearing masks in crowded indoor spaces, and staying up to date on vaccinations (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2023).

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Preventing seasonal flu: Good health habits can help stop germs. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/actions-prevent-flu.htm

Huang, K., Wang, Y., & Rojas, J. (2022). Cold air exposure and the immune response: implications for viral infections. National Institutes of Health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMCXXXXXXX/

Kudo, E., Song, E., Yockey, L. J., Rakib, T., Wong, P. W., Homer, R. J., & Iwasaki, A. (2019). Low ambient humidity impairs barrier function and innate resistance against influenza infection. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 144(5), 1363-1373. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2019.08.027

Schaffner, W. (2023). How winter weather influences the spread of respiratory viruses. Vanderbilt University Medical Center. https://www.vumc.org/infectious-disease

Answer 2

Cold weather doesn't necessarily cause a sickness or cold, however it may make some people more vunerable to catching a cold or some sort of sickness.  Most of the time, colds and illnesses go up during the colder times, and when it's cold you spend more time inside with other individuals, which may be carrying a sickness.

https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/can-winter-make-you-sick

Answer 3

The claim is almost correct. Cold weather itself does not cause illness. The rise in colds and flu during the winter happens because people are spending more time indoors in close contact. Furthermore,  dry air can make it easier for viruses to invade our bodies. The true culprit is the spread of germs, not the temperature. 

• Verywell Health: https://www.verywellhealth.com
• CDC: https://www.cdc.gov
• Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org
• WebMD: https://www.webmd.com

Answer 4

Your understanding aligns with scientific findings: cold weather itself doesn't directly cause illnesses like the common cold or flu. Instead, factors associated with colder seasons contribute to the increased incidence of these infections. 

• Dry Air: Indoor heating lowers humidity, drying out your nose and making it easier for viruses to enter. (International Journal of Molecular Sciences)
• More Indoor Time: People gather inside more, increasing the chance of virus transmission. (Journal of Infection)
• Weakened Immune Response: Cold air can lower nasal tissue temperature, reducing the body’s defense against infections. (Healthline)

In short, it's not the cold itself but the environment and behaviors in winter that lead to more sickness

https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/DDD7C065E1162CDB039C398F2F2C44DF/S0950268814002702a.pdf/humidity_and_respiratory_virus_transmission_in_tropical_and_temperate_settings.pd

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/scientists-finally-figure-out-why-youre-more-likely-to-get-sick-in-cold-weather?

https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/11/9456?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Answer 5

It is a myth that cold weather itself makes you sick. Yes you can get sick from the cold but sick as in frostbite and/or hypothermia. Viruses tend to occur more in colder seasons as we are inside, which also the virus to spread. On UnityPoint Health it is actually said that the cold weather can actually help prevent you from getting sick.

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