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Sorry to shock everyone but no, you do not get a cold from the AC....you do not get it from cold air, air current, drinking cold water, snow, or any of these "cold" things. It is unfortunate that it is called "cold". People are confused by that I guess.

I keep on hearing more and more people complaining that they got a cold from the AC and I want to rip my head off :D. The "cold" is a virus infection. Period.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_cā€¦

Here a short and scientific video about it youtu.be/fyO5AA65h8U

So no, there is no evidence that cold temperatures decrease your immune system's ability to cop with a viral infection, unless you may have hypothermia and then you have more problems than the virus.

I thought this is a myth only found in Romania, where I am from originally, but I've met people from Belgium to South America who believe this.

#science #cold #viruses #myths


common viral infection of upper respiratory tract

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#science #cold #myths #Viruses
in reply to Tio

Mother Bones
Mother Bones
• •

Yes, it has been a common historical (and present) misconception everywhere on the planet I've lived.

People still think you "catch cold" from getting wet feet or rainy hair, not wearing a hat in snowy weather, leaving your coat unzipped, or a cold draft in the bedroom while sleeping. šŸ¤¦šŸ»ā€ā™€ļø

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in reply to Tio

Lightfighter
Lightfighter
• •
If simply being cold caused sickness, the native residents of Alaska and Canada would never have survived.
in reply to Tio

Philippa Cowderoy
Philippa Cowderoy
• •
It used to be possible to get it "from" some kinds of AC systems - so they added filters to the vents
in reply to Philippa Cowderoy

Tio
Tio
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ah, what!? you mean the ac would spread it from other people? all fans do that
in reply to Tio

Philippa Cowderoy
Philippa Cowderoy
• •

Yeah, but think what a filterless AC system running through an entire block of flats/apartments would do!...

...so yeah, they added filters.

in reply to Philippa Cowderoy

Tio
Tio
•
sure but this is different from what people complain about getting sick from the AC....they think it is the cold air that gets them sick
in reply to Tio

Philippa Cowderoy
Philippa Cowderoy
• •
In general, yes, but it's one of those things that started out based on an empirically true statement - it's superstition now because something was done about it, though not everybody needs hypothermia to push their immune response over an edge making the difference between "happens to be fighting off the cold virus" and "has symptoms" either - there's a lot of ways to find yourself a bit dysregulated.
in reply to Philippa Cowderoy

Tio
Tio
•
It did not start out based on empirical evidence. I bet. It started out based on poor judgement :)
in reply to Tio

Luka Rubinjoni
Luka Rubinjoni
• •

But, hear me out... What about draft? (not the military one, the "air streaming between open windows" kind)

In Serbia, it's common knowledge that draft is the deadliest thing on God's green Earth.

Sensing a bit of draft on your skin is looking Death in the eye.

in reply to Luka Rubinjoni

Tio
Tio
•
Yah I've heard of this eastern european daft....it is deadly. agree!
in reply to Tio

Rokosun
Rokosun
• •
Being in cold weather can make my nose clogged sometimes, but yeah that's different from an actual viral cold šŸ¤”
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