Whenever there is a dip in temperatures, the likelihood of catching the flu rapidly increases. You find yourself with a running nose. Then a cough. Soon you have a sore throat, fever, and aches. Like clockwork, the flu season has struck again. The question is, why is it prevalent during cold weather?
Many of us have been brought up in your typical Kenyan household where it was impressed upon us to dress warmly during cold weather lest we fell sick.
“Do you want to take yourself to a hospital?” was a popular rhetorical question that our mothers used to coerce us into keeping warm and overdressing in some instances, during cold weather.
Were our mothers onto something? Yes, and no. It is quite clear that flu outbreaks are prevalent during the colder months but why this happens isn’t clear. As it so stands, scientists and health experts are only just starting to piece together information on why cases of the flu are highest during cold weather. There are a few reasons why
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Cold Air & Flu Virus
Myth: Cold weather causes you to catch the flu.
Fact: Cold weather actually doesn’t make you get sick. You might not feel great after moving around in cold weather with no jacket on, but it’s not an activity that causes you to get ill with influenza. There is something a little bit more scientific going on.
There is a theory that the influenza virus may survive better in colder, drier climates. When it’s humid outside, water droplets in the air fall to the ground. This is because they’re heavier, right?
When this happens, any viruses or germs surviving in those droplets also fall to the ground. During cold weather, however, it’s a lot less humid than the long dry and hot spells that Kenyans witnessed between December and late February. As a result, water droplets in the air can survive longer and prolong the amount of time the virus hangs around.
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Closed Spaces
Give thought about all the time you spend in closed spaces, whether indoors or stuck in traffic in matatus with their windows closed.
You also tend to stay indoors during cold weather, right?
When it comes down to it, germs pass between people. When the weather is cold and we’re snuggled up, we’re more likely to spread germs to one another. You don’t have to get very close to catch the flu, either. During cold weather, we often keep windows and doors shut to keep us warm. However, that also keeps the virus inside as well. That’s why you can catch the flu from someone in your home, office or a matatu even if you’re staying far away from them. It’s in the air.
Another contributing factor that comes from being indoors during cold weather is the lack of vitamin D. We get vitamin D and melatonin from the sun. Both nutrients are key players in our immune systems. During cold weather, we are less likely to spend time soaking up the sun’s rays due to the prevalent cloud cover that drastically reduces the sun’s intensity, therefore it’s simply easier to get sick. If our bodies don’t have the right tools to fight a virus, we’re in for some trouble.
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Dealing with the flu
The best way to beat the flu is to stop yourself from getting it in the first place. You should get your flu shot if possible. Also make sure you wash your hands, stay away from people who appear sick and take some supplements for your immune system.
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Corona-viruses are a large family of viruses that are known to cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome(SARS).What is SARS-CoV-2?
SARS-CoV-2 is a new strain of corona-virus that has not been previously identified in humans.Where do corona-viruses come from?Corona-viruses are viruses that circulate among animals with some of them also known to infect humans.Bats are considered as natural hosts of these viruses yet several other species of animals are also known to be a source.
More information on corona-viruses can be found on the ECDC fact-sheet.Is this virus comparable to SARS or to the seasonal flu?The novel corona-virus detected in China is genetically closely related to the SARS-CoV-1 virus.
SARS emerged at the end of 2002 in China, and it caused more than 8 000 cases in 33 countries over a period of eight months.
The current COVID-19 outbreak caused around 7 000 reported cases in China during the first month after initial reports (January 2020), with a further 80 000 cases reported globally during the second month (February 2020).
While the viruses that cause both COVID-19 and seasonal influenza are transmitted from person-to-person and may cause similar symptoms, the two viruses are very different and do not behave in the same way.
Coronavirus is the recent form of virus which has been seen in China.
The virus originates like a common flu but it killed four people in China.
