The first day of spring has come and gone. And, for most of us, that means that our chances of feeling sick (other than allergies) has been attenuated.

Except that we already saw Spring (and maybe some Summer days) in the months of January and February. Which means, with the climate change that we are experiencing (please don’t tell me you also deny climate science!) the sickness season really extends until May, nowadays.

But, we are advised to get the flu shot in November, because the prime season to contract the flu is between December and March. But, it’s not just the flu that waylays our days. The winter season harbors the most prevalent times to contract a cold, RSV ( Respiratory Syncytial Virus, a respiratory illness), as well as rotaviral/noroviral GI tract diseases.

But, the real problem is that we have NO clue why there are seasonal trends to these illnesses. Because if we did, we could prevent outbreaks that devastate large portions of the world’s population.

So, don’t tell me that we get sicker just because it gets cold. (If that were the case, I’d never get sick- because I never feel cold.)

And, we’ve disproven that notion by infecting folks with cold viri- and split the teat population between staying ‘warm & dry’ and ‘cold & wet’. Guess what? Everyone fell ill at about the same rates. Whoops. There goes that theory.

Another theory? We stay indoors more in the winter. And, because we do, we stay more contiguous to one another, which means respiratory viri can more easily jump from person to person. That sounds like it could some merit, but…

Using guinea pigs, Drs. N. Pica, Y Chou, N. Bouvier, and P. Palese (Mt Sinai) found that cold weather makes one shed more viri- and for longer periods. The article (published in the Journal of Virology ) provided data that during cold and dry situations (similar to those that obtain in winter norms), exhaled viri stayed suspended in the air longer. (This is akin to the data we found decades ago that microbes (Serratia) could stay viable in relatively low humidity (30%) environments for days. (Applied Microbiology, Dr. T. Wilkenson, UC Berkeley, 1966  )

It seems that the droplets of moisture evaporate in these conditions, and that process allows the  pathogens to stay suspended longer. When the humidity increases (like in the summer), the pathogen-droplet mixtures drop like logs- and are less likely to be inhaled.

Moreover, it seems that MODERATE cold weather conditions are far more dangerous that the extremes. Our airways become constricted, which also suppresses our defense mechanisms. There’s also stress on our cardiovascular systems. (This involved researchers from around the world, A. Gasparrini, primary author, The Lancet. )

So, we still can’t quite put our fingers on the exact reason why there’s a seasonality to these illnesses..

Which means, we need to be vaccinated against all these potential threats. it’s our last line of defense.

Getting ready to do your taxes yourself?   This will inform you of what has changed for this year’s filing season.  (Of course, you can contact us-  we’ll ensure that you pay the lowest amount of taxes required by law. 🙂 )