• areyouevenreal@lemm.ee
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      3 months ago

      It’s a combination of different factors. Cold weather makes it harder for your airways to defend themselves. There are I believe some cold viruses that are viable for longer or are stronger in cold weather, but since the cold is many different viruses I am not sure how much difference it makes.

      • HackerJoe
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        3 months ago

        True. Influenza viruses don’t like heat. You can potentially reduce the amount of active cells substantially by going to the sauna. 60°C is already sufficient to reduce it by 4 orders of magnitude.

        https://www.mdpi.com/2036-7481/13/4/60

    • Mercury@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      It’s because your immune system is less efficient at lower temperatures. So being cold doesn’t directly make you sick, but it can indirectly contribute to getting you sick.