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I've been wondering why it is that virus infections are supposed to "disappear" in the summer. Obviously the viruses don't actually go anywhere, so I would expe
by darkerside 7y ago
I've been wondering why it is that virus infections are supposed to "disappear" in the summer. Obviously the viruses don't actually go anywhere, so I would expect people to get sick year round. Maybe immunity boosting from Vitamin D could be part of the answer.
- dtjohnnyb 7y agoThat is one hypothesis, though there are a lot https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flu_season#Cause https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flu_season#Cause
- Gravityloss 7y agoMind boggling that this kind of a thing isn't known. This says the total economic effect of seasonal influenza in the US alone is 87 billion per year. That's six NASA:s worth: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X07003854 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X0...
- adventured 7y ago> That's six NASA:s worth The good news is, it's only four NASAs now. Their budget is up to $22.6 billion this year.
- Marsymars 7y ago> Mind boggling that this kind of a thing isn't known. I was blown away recently when I discovered that the causes of myopia aren't really known, but don't seem to be primarily genetic.
- gameswithgo 7y agosome evidence that being indoors too much when young could contribute.
- Marsymars 7y agoYeah, possible related to sunlight causing dopamine release which inhibits excess growth in the eye, but nothing close to the point of say, public health authorities giving concrete parenting advice based on that.
- geomark 7y agoI like the UV theory, that seasonal decline in UV reduces the chances of virus getting damaged or killed by it. So I'm pinning my hopes on that one to save me from Covad19 because I live in the topices at 400 meter elevation where the UV is pretty brutal year round. Downside, of course, is increased risk of skin cancer.
- darkerside 7y agoThanks, this one actually sounds plausible Research done by National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) in 2008 found that the influenza virus has a "butter-like coating". The coating melts when it enters the respiratory tract. In the winter, the coating becomes a hardened shell; therefore, it can survive in the cold weather similar to a spore. In the summer, the coating melts before the virus reaches the respiratory tract.[8]
- IAmEveryone 7y agoPeople spend more time indoors, often with the windows closed. Humidity might also be higher, and temperatures lower, two variables which have an effect on virus viability outside the body.
- simiones 7y agoAccording to Wikipedia, more time spent indoors is a likely contributing factor to the flu being more active in the cold season, not the other way around.
- darkerside 7y agoSummer or winter, I'm spending all my damn time in an open office. There's plenty of opportunity for exposure in the summer.
- omnimus 7y agoAs far as i know lower humidity helps viruses spread not the other way around. In winter indor heating makes air dry. Having humidifier should help.