1095: How to Be a Vampire

[John Galt]

Your resistance gets lower because of environmental stress and people tend to congregate in enclosed, less well ventilated spaces in cold weather. Lack of sunlight drops your vitamin D production as well, making you more venerable to bacteria and viruses.

[Ansur]

"At winter temperatures, the virus’s outer covering, or envelope, hardens to a rubbery gel that could shield the virus as it passes from person to person, the researchers have found. At warmer temperatures, however, the protective gel melts to a liquid phase. But this liquid phase apparently isn’t tough enough to protect the virus against the elements, and so the virus loses its ability to spread from person to person." -National Institutes of Health

If the air is dry, your throat can dry out a bit with your breathing and become sore and it is easier to get infected with the virus.

National Academy of Science: "The correlations were surprisingly strong. When absolute humidity is low, influenza virus survival is prolonged and transmission rates go up," said Jeffrey Shaman, an Oregon State University atmospheric scientist who specializes in ties between climate and disease transmission.

The cold might not actually be what makes you sick, but it makes it a LOT easier for you to get the cold or flu virus.

[lizsquiz]

Also, Keith said the word "noodge" (spelling?) in this episode.

That's the first time I have ever heard anyone other than my mother use that word. I always thought it was a family thing. It's nice to know it's normal.