# Why is winter the season for colds, flu, etc.?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-winter-the-season-for-colds-flu-etc/47358>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [December 27, 2000, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-winter-the-season-for-colds-flu-etc/47358 "2000-12-27T08:21:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ozma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8dc957/32.png) [@Ozma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ozma)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2000, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-winter-the-season-for-colds-flu-etc/47358/1 "2000-12-27T08:21:29Z")

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Someone suggested to me once that the reason cold weather tends to be cold & flu season is simply becayse when it’s cold out, people spend more time indoors with each other, cozily sharing their germs. When the weather’s warmer they spend more time walking around outside, dispersing the germs on the winds. Not a very detailed answer, but plausible as a contributing factor at least.

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2000, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-winter-the-season-for-colds-flu-etc/47358/2 "2000-12-27T14:54:59Z")

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And always remember to supply a link to a column:

[Why is winter the season for colds and flus?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4_104.html)

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**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2000, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-winter-the-season-for-colds-flu-etc/47358/3 "2000-12-27T17:22:12Z")

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Welcome to the SDMB, and thank you for posting your comment.  
Please include a link to Cecil’s column if it’s on the straight dope web site.  
To include a link, it can be as simple as including the web page location in your post (make sure there is a space **before** and **after** the text of the URL).

Cecil’s column can be found on-line at the link provided by Mjollnir.

The column ( **including** Slug Signorino’s illustration) can also be found on pages 104-106 of Cecil Adams’ book «[_The Straight Dope Tells All_](http://www.straightdope.com/otheroutlets/books.html)».

* * *

moderator, «[**Comments on Cecil’s Columns**](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/forumdisplay.php?forumid=1)»

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**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2000, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-winter-the-season-for-colds-flu-etc/47358/4 "2000-12-27T17:55:01Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Ozma \*  
> \*\*Someone suggested to me once that the reason cold weather tends to be cold & flu season is simply becayse when it’s cold out, people spend more time indoors with each other, cozily sharing their germs. When the weather’s warmer they spend more time walking around outside, dispersing the germs on the winds. Not a very detailed answer, but plausible as a contributing factor at least. \*\*

This doesn’t explain why colds are often more common during the winter months in the tropics, too, where people are still outside a lot and the weather doesn’t vary much.

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**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2000, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-winter-the-season-for-colds-flu-etc/47358/5 "2000-12-27T22:34:06Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by JillGat \*  
> This doesn’t explain why colds are often more common during the winter months in the tropics, too, where people are still outside a lot and the weather doesn’t vary much.

Throughout the entire tropics, or just the northern half? How about in the southern hemisphere? Is their cold and flu season during our winter or theirs?