This Is When You're Most Likely To Catch The Flu

If you’re wondering when you might get the flu, a new study indicates you should keep an eye on your local weather report. According to research published in the Journal of Clinical Virology, a season’s first cold snap below 37 degrees Fahrenheit (or zero degrees Celsius, as defined in the study) preceded a mass spread of the flu in Gothenberg, a large metropolitan area of Sweden. The researchers suggest that if you keep your eye on the weather and watch for the first major dip in the temperature, you can essentially mark your calendar in anticipation for an influx of the illness.  “We believe that this sudden drop in temperature contributes to ‘kickstarting’ the epidemic,” lead study author Nicklas Sundell, an infectious diseases specialist at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Sweden, said in a statement.  To figure out how the weather and flu outbreak may be connected, researchers analyzed nasal swabs of 20,000 people in the Gothenberg area over three seasons. The number of people who caught the flu was then compared with weather data from the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute. After each season, Sundell’s team noticed one consistent finding: The first really cold period with low outdoor temperatures and low humidity was always followed by a week of a mass influenza outbreak.  Why cold weather can activate the spread of the flu The researchers say that aerosol particles containing virus and liqui...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news