It’s Easier to Catch a Cold When It’s Cold

The phrase "grab a jacket or you'll catch your death out there" has probably been uttered by well-intentioned mothers to their developing children on days when the temperature drops below freezing. It makes sense to think that colder weather makes you sick because your odds of becoming sick increase throughout the winter, but the cold itself has nothing to do with it. In the summer, UV radiation—which is scarce in the winter for a variety of reasons—can readily destroy the majority of viruses.

According to studies, people want to be with other people throughout the colder months of the year, therefore keeping schools open at this time is unlikely to stop the spread of influenza. Other research has demonstrated that there is absolutely no connection between body temperature and the frequency of viral infections, such as the common cold virus (rhinovirus). But for people growing up before the advent of science, it did appear that being outside in the wintertime without proper protection could cause you to "get a cold," which is where the concept of a "cold" originates.