It's Not the Weather, It's You

Don’t you hate it when someone lets out a series of sneezes and proceeds to say with complete conviction: “it must be the change in weather” ?

No, it’s probably a virus.

This misattribution is one of my biggest pet peeves.

Research shows that cold weather itself doesn’t make you sick but viruses do. But the myth that the cold causes colds persists.

I know it’s unrealistic to expect to change their thinking, but watching someone smugly blame the wind after spraying snot everywhere is still annoying.

Blaming the weather lets the actual culprit off the hook. If you think the cold weather made you sick, you’re less likely to focus on real prevention: washing hands and staying home when contagious. It also creates pointless guilt — people mentally retracing every moment of insufficient warmth when they should just be resting and hydrating.

Begrudgingly, I will admit that cold air can weaken the body’s immune system, making it slightly easier for viruses to latch onto nasal cells. So wear a jacket or something — because warmth is comfy, not because rain is infectious.

But sure, maybe it was the wind.