Buzz
Children often resist dressing suitably for the weather—mine certainly do. They prefer pajamas for school, Halloween costumes for bedtime, and lightweight outfits during snowfall. To convince them to bundle up, we resort to familiar warnings like, 'You’ll freeze and get sick!'
But is it truly possible to contract a cold from chilly temperatures? Since colds stem from viruses, the answer is no. However, does cold weather increase your vulnerability to these viruses? The answer is a bit nuanced, but the likelihood remains low.
Viruses are the root cause of colds
Colds are contagious illnesses triggered by viruses, not cold weather. While multiple viruses can lead to colds, the term 'cold' refers to a cluster of symptoms like sore throat, nasal congestion, coughing, and sneezing. According to the CDC, common cold-causing viruses include:
rhinoviruses
adenoviruses
respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
coronaviruses (excluding COVID and SARS, despite being part of the same family)
human parainfluenza viruses
human metapneumoviruses
Since colds transmit between individuals, the CDC advises preventive measures like frequent handwashing, avoiding touching your face with unclean hands, and steering clear of close contact with infected individuals. Wearing a hat outdoors, however, isn’t listed as a preventive step.
Why do colds peak during winter?
The misconception that cold weather causes colds likely stems from the higher prevalence of colds in winter. However, several seasonal factors, such as indoor crowding and lower humidity, contribute to the increased spread of respiratory viruses during colder months.
Firstly, cold weather drives people indoors, increasing close contact and making it easier for cold viruses to spread—similar to how COVID transmits.
Additionally, cold air holds less moisture than warm air, leading to drier nasal mucous membranes, whether outdoors in the cold or indoors with heated air. These membranes are crucial for defending against viruses, so dryness may heighten susceptibility to colds.
Several theories explain why respiratory viruses, including colds and flu, thrive in winter. Reduced sunlight lowers vitamin D levels, and cold weather may prolong virus survival outside the body. While some argue that cold-induced stress weakens the immune system, this is unlikely to significantly impact catching a cold.
What about William Henry Harrison?
This logic seems sound, but what about William Henry Harrison, the ninth U.S. president who served only a month? History recounts that he delivered a lengthy inaugural speech in the cold without a hat or coat to showcase his toughness. He reportedly caught a cold, which progressed to pneumonia, leading to his death. How does this align with the facts?
First, the story seems too tidy and convenient to be entirely accurate. It paints a dramatic picture of a man succumbing to his own arrogance. But did he truly catch a cold from his hatless speech? A 2014 study in Clinical Infectious Diseases suggests the answer to both questions is likely no.
Harrison didn’t fall ill immediately after his speech. He only began feeling sick three weeks later, with initial symptoms including headaches, abdominal pain, constipation, and fever. A cough developed days before his death. So why is pneumonia the accepted cause? His doctor, faced with public pressure, attributed the death to pneumonia despite reservations, as it provided a clear explanation for the public.
Under immense pressure to explain the sudden death of the newly elected leader, the doctor cited pneumonia, though he expressed doubts. He wrote, 'The disease was not viewed as a case of pure pneumonia; but as this was the most apparent symptom, the term pneumonia offered a concise and understandable answer to the public’s questions about the illness.'
However, the 2014 analysis highlights that Harrison’s gastrointestinal symptoms were more severe than his respiratory issues. The authors suggest he likely died from 'enteric fever,' or a severe stomach infection, possibly typhoid.
At the time, Washington, D.C. lacked a proper sewer system, and the White House’s water source was dangerously close to a waste disposal site. Presidents James Polk and Zachary Taylor also suffered severe gastrointestinal illnesses during their terms, with Taylor dying from similar causes. Yet, the narrative persists that Harrison’s death was due to his refusal to wear a hat in the cold.
