What is happening during the cooler months is that individuals are spending more time in enclosed spaces, meaning they are more frequently breathing the air of others who may have influenza, COVID, or RSV virus in their lungs, mouth, or nose. Further, in these cold months, we typically have shorter days, and Justice Brandeis’s quote ‘sunlight is the best disinfectant’ very much applies, whether it be for killing viruses or bringing forward the truth (Tansey & Tansey, 2018). Spending time outdoors and simple exposure to sunlight kills most viruses and boosts your immune system. Finally, multiple studies have shown that in hot and/or humid conditions, all three viruses can only survive for about an hour on a surface, whereas in cold, dry conditions, the viruses can exist on surfaces for 20+ hours (Elert, 2013; Kolta, 2007; Lowen, et. al., 2007). This means that while cold weather alone will not make you sick, these common viruses that impact us are simply more prevalent in cold, dry conditions. Now that we better understand the ‘seasonal’ aspect of these viruses. Let us briefly look at the most recent data. We can start with flu season. In the United States, it typically begins in October and can last through April, with the peak often occurring between December and February (CDC, 2022).
Image Source: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/index.html While flu season remains a primary focus of public health each year, in March 2020, that focus expanded with the rapid spread of COVID-19. What made COVID-19 especially challenging is that it was a completely new virus, which is rare, and followed a similar seasonality as influenza. With both being respiratory illnesses, it resulted in a great deal of fear and lives lost in the fall and winter seasons of 2020, 2021, and 2022 (CDC, 2024). Fortunately, it can be reported that we have reached a fair herd immunity level, from our peak COVID hospitalization during the week of January 15, 2022, at 150,000+ cases, to this January 15, 2024, seeing 40,000+ hospital admissions. Still far higher than anyone would like, but manageable (CDC, 2024a).
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