Winter flu study tells us to be prepared
Payday loans can help pay for that emergency trip to the doctor that you weren’t planning on. However, an ounce of prevention is always prudent. For instance, did you know that a lack of humidity helps the flu spread? And have you ever wondered why you’re more prone to the flu during winter?
Most people think it’s because of low temperatures, but that’s only part of the story. According to U.S. News and World Report, low humidity and the flu go together. And it just so happens that winter months fit the bill, according to Oregon State University researchers.
Blame it on absolute humidity
Previous studies have focused on relative humidity (the ratio of air water vapor content to the saturating level, which varies with temperature), but the link with influenza transmission has been weak. Absolute humidity (the actual amount of water in the air, irrespective of temperature) is apparently a much better indicator.
Study author Jeffrey Shaman said that, “The correlations were surprisingly strong. When absolute humidity is low, influenza virus survival is prolonged, and transmission rates go up.” Shaman and epidemiologist Melvin Kohn have concluded that “absolute humidity explains 90 percent of flu virus survival and 50 percent of transmission.”
Be prepared, be healthy
Shaman states that some areas of the country during summer can have “four times as much water vapor as a typical winter day — a difference that exists both indoors and outdoors.” This does not provide the optimal environment for influenza survival and transmission, which makes winter transmission much more common.
Needless to say, cover up during the winter months when you’re outside. In addition, wash your hands to help avoid contracting the germs. Payday loans can help when you need emergency cash for the doctor, but why make that trip necessary? Bundle up, be clean and be smart.
Related articles
- Keep it moist: flu spreads better in dry air (ctv.ca)
- Moist air dampens spread of flu (cbc.ca)
- Humidity Helps Fight Flu (sciam.com)
WASH YOUR HANDS! WASH YOUR HANDS! WASH YOUR HANDS!
-You can’t really lose any money by doing this and you’re less likely to end up at the hospital.
That is both interesting and kind of disturbing. A lot of viruses and other bacteria die in the open air, and especially at colder temperatures, but not influenza, which is why the Avian Flu is such a worry – and the easiest way to keep from getting the flu and a host of other infections like meningitis and MRSA is to just wash your hands.