Does getting cold increase your chances of catching flu? | Flu

“Pput on your coat, otherwise you will freeze to death. It’s a common refrain that fuels the narrative that being cold makes us sick. It’s true that illnesses are more common during the winter months, but is it true that you’re more likely to catch the flu if you forget your hat?

Not exactly. In The Conversation, medical microbiologist Manal Mohammed from the University of Westminster explained that colds and flu are caused by viruses that spread either through respiratory droplets or from person to person, regardless of temperature. However, there is some truth to this idea: Many viruses survive longer in colder, drier conditions, which increases the chances that they will hang around and infect a new victim. Cold weather also encourages us to spend more time indoors, and in crowded, poorly ventilated spaces, viruses can accumulate and spread more easily from person to person. Reduced sunlight in winter also reduces vitamin D production, which can weaken the immune system.

Understanding the link between cold weather and the spread of viruses helps us better reduce the risk of transmission, by improving indoor ventilation and humidity levels, and keeping our vitamin D levels high. Public health messaging that communicates that viruses are spread through contact and respiratory droplets is more effective than being pestered to keep warm.