When is it easier to catch an acute respiratory viral infection: in warm winter or in severe frosts
There is no need to be afraid of severe winter frosts, doctors reassure. The lower the thermometer drops, the less active the viruses become.
But in a warm winter it is much easier to catch an acute respiratory viral infection.
Infectious disease specialist Andrei Pozdnyakov spoke about this in an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta .
Morbidity factors
1. The expert says that the optimal environment for the spread of viruses is the air temperature range from -10 to +10 degrees Celsius.
In such conditions, viruses survive on various surfaces, and the possibility of infection by contact increases.
2. If the air temperature in winter drops to -15 or more, then the air humidity also decreases.
Dry air prevents the formation of aerosols, which reduces the possibility of airborne transmission of viruses.
3. Another factor that reduces the incidence of illness in severe frosts is the preference to stay warm.
That is, frosts force people to spend more time at home. As a result, the concentration of people in public places decreases.
4. It should also be noted that in warm winter it is difficult to choose comfortable clothes.
A person can overheat in transport or in a store, and after going outside, they experience hypothermia, which contributes to illness.
