Dr. Judy Theriot and the others at University of Louisville
Pediatrics are busy. "A lot of kids with the flu," she said. "A
lot of kids with other respiratory viruses." So with up and
down, roller coaster weather - record warm weather early in the
week and then a 40-degree drop in 24 hours - you'd think they'd
be expecting business to pick up as more people come down with
illness. Dr. Theriot said you'd think wrong. "It has nothing to
do with how cold or hot it is or the changes or fluctuation in
temperature," she said. Dr. Theriot said you get colds and the
flu because of viruses and viruses have nothing to do with the
weather. They're spread through people. "They cough in your
face," she said. "You're around them in closed spaces or you
touch infected objects." So why does the myth of winter colds
persist? Dr. Theriot said it's all because of our environment.
We're not outside as much, so we have more chances to spread our
illnesses. "They kind of cycle around the world and people catch
rhinovirus more in t