Researchers Explain Why Flu Comes In the Winter

First time accepted submitter ggrocca writes "Using human mucus as a testbed for how well influenza virus thrives in different humidity conditions, researchers at Virginia Tech found that the virus survived best if humidity is below 50%, a typical indoor situation during the winter in temperate climates due to artificial heating. The virus begins to find itself at home again only when humidity reaches almost 100%. Unsurprisingly, the latter finding explains flu spikes during rainy season in tropical climates. Full paper on PLOS ONE."

Comments

Re:something doesnt add up

[yeshuawatso]

It does add up if you read the article. The virus survives in humidity levels below 50% and above 98% since 98% simulates the human body. It doesn't fair as well at humidity levels between 60-80%.

Re:Well, it is also linked to less vitamin D

[transporter_ii]

see:

http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20090223/low-vitamin-d-levels-linked-to-colds

Vitamin D hypothesis -- low levels in winter

[Paul Fernhout]

In winter, people make little to no vitamin D: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_D_and_influenza

Even in places near the equator, if people stay indoors to avoid rain, they will have lower vitamin D levels, unless they supplement.

Re:Heat does NOT REMOVE humidity

[PPH]

Relative humidity. The ability of air to absorb water goes up with its temperature. So, for a fixed amount of moisture in a quantity of air, when you heat it, its capacity to absorb more goes up.