7 ms·
Why is there higher mortality in winter?
by kozak 3y ago
Why is there higher mortality in winter?
- t0bia_s 3y agoEspecially in group 0-14 (higher than during covid) and 15-45 (slightly less than during covid but still more than pre-covid).
- thebruce87m 3y agoRespiratory illnesses peak in winter. There was always a push for flu vaccinations in the lead up to winter, and now covid in the mix too. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/winter-illness-guide https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseas...
- WanderPanda 3y agoWhy is that in turn? I’ve heard people refer to low vitamin D levels but I’m sceptic if that is the reason (would be so easy to fix)
- hprotagonist 3y agobecause that's how the phase locking shook out.
- paavope 3y agoOne potential mechanism is people staying indoors more in winter, making all kinds of illnesses spread more easily.
- Erratic6576 3y agoDon’t you dare open that window!
- hprotagonist 3y agove must have ze luftink!
- brnt 3y agoWould be interesting to know if Germans have less of a flu season.
- teamonkey 3y agoCold affects the immune response. https://time.com/6238816/why-viruses-spread-in-cold-weather/ https://time.com/6238816/why-viruses-spread-in-cold-weather/
- alex_young 3y agoCold temps actually make your nose less effective at fighting off viral infections before they move to your lungs etc. https://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(22)01423-3/fulltext https://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(22)01423-3/ful...
- brewdad 3y agoLower indoor humidity levels also contribute.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- emmelaich 3y agoHeat kills germs, and from memory SARS-CoV-2 is particularly vulnerable.
- resolutebat 3y agoDidn't stop COVID from rampaging through plenty of hot places like India.
- mcmoor 3y agoThey have unexpectedly lower excess death from initial covid... Until delta variant comes which isn't fazed at all by summer of 2021.
- emmelaich 3y agoIndeed, it varies by strain. I was remarking on the initial variant, but I have not followed up on the later variants.
- emmelaich 3y agoJust means there's more than just heat at play, which is sorta obvious.
- Sakos 3y agoNot quite. The cold temporarily weakens our immune systems, particularly in our upper respiratory tract. Couple that with increased proximity to other people in many places when people are more likely to use public transport.
- karim79 3y agoHigher transmissibility of certain viruses could be one reason. If more people are catching it, it's not hard to imagine that more people are getting sick from it, and infecting others. From one study: > Our study shows an important dependency of SARS-CoV-2 transmission to weather/climate, with each 1°C reduction in mean regional temperature below 10°C leading to a 0.16-unit increase in R0 , or each 1 g/m3 reduction in AH leading to a 0.15-unit increase in R0. Northern hemisphere countries experienced a new wave of SARS-CoV-2 infections during autumnal transition from summer to winter (colder temperatures and lower absolute humidity levels), while still actively maintaining control strategies. When planning to adjust the level of restrictions on social activities, public health strategies need to account for the increased transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 when/where cold and dry winter conditions are prevalent. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8211690/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8211690/
- collyw 3y agoIt's more likely to be lower levels of vitamin D in winter. Viral transmission is very poorly understood.
- elmolino89 3y agoApart from respiratory infections: cardiovascular events. There was a famous paper about guys dropping dead while/after cleaning snow from the sidewalks/driveways (Illinois?). Not necessary from the physical shovelling but from just riding a domestic snowplow. It is good enough be exposed to cold: vessels constrict, blood pressure rises, you may drop dead when old, obese, unfit and with atherosclerosis. *edit*: article stating that the spikes in mortality were within 3 days of a cold blast. https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/155/1/80/134292 https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/155/1/80/134292