If Coronavirus Thrive in Cold Noses, Then Keeping It Warm May Help
An unconventional view of facemasks.
We often see the common cold and flu on the rise during the colder months. These respiratory viruses — coronavirus, rhinovirus, influenza virus, and respiratory syncytial virus — are classed as winter viruses that thrive in colder environments at around 33°C (91.4 °F) or lower.
Keep the nose warm, science recommends
As follows, winter viruses seem to replicate better in colder noses or airways. Why? A 2020 paper of Akiko Iwasaki, a professor of many titles at Yale University who has contributed immensely to the Covid-19 literature, published March 2020 in the Annual Review of Virology, explained three reasons:
- The lipids of winter viruses — that form the viral envelope encasing its genes — are more stable and structurally rigid in the cold.
- Breathing cold or dry air slows the clearance of mucous — that traps foreign particles like viruses and bacteria — in the airways.
- The immune system in the nose and airways becomes less vigilant when cold, particularly the antiviral interferon responses. The immune system works best during a fever for good reasons, after all.
“It keeps my nose warmer…