(WGN Radio/NEXSTAR) – Growing up, you probably heard your parents tell you some version of this quote during the winter: “Bundle up, you don’t want to catch a cold.” But is the cold weather really what makes you sick?
Steve Dale from NewsNatoin affiliate WGN Radio spoke with Dr. Mattew Kippenhan from Northwestern Medicine to find the answer.
According to Kippenhan, while more people get sick during the winter months, it’s not because of the cold weather. “In theory, we’ll see more colds this time of year, mostly because we’re inside and around people more and it’s more transmissible.”
Kippenhan continued, stating that we’re seeing more cases of the flu, COVID, and other respiratory illnesses than last year. He explained that typically that’s just the “ebbs and flows” when it comes to how many people are sick with any of these illnesses each year. But Kippenhan said that there is another factor that may be causing more people to get sick this year than in years past.
You can listen to the full interview with Dr. Kippenhan on WGN Radio in the player below:
“Unfortunately, I think a lot of people have become complacent after COVID and didn’t get their vaccines, so there’s just a higher risk of those people actually becoming ill.”
While the cold weather isn’t the direct cause of people getting sick, it can still cause other medical conditions such as hypothermia or frostbite if a person isn’t properly dressed for the cold, particularly geriatric patients.
Kippenhan explained that older patients may have decreased sensations or other medical issues that can impact their knowing just how cold it is. Also, some geriatric patients simply don’t move as quickly or need the help of aides to get around.
“Family members that are older in general if they don’t have to go out in weather like this, certainly you wouldn’t…but in general people who are geriatric or people who are immunocompromised are going to be more susceptible to the effects of the cold.”
