New study shows why more people get colds in the cold

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The University of Arizona said they always tend to see more students at their campus health services as the weather gets colder and new research shows, there’s a reason why.

“I've gotten sick twice here since August,” said Gabriela Huerta.

Gabriela Huerta is one of the students bundled up when walking around campus and according to a new study, you might want to cover your nose.

“When it gets colder, it turns out our nasal passages can't keep viruses out as well as they can when it's warmer,” said Lee Ann Hamilton, the Assistant Director for Health Promotion and Preventive Services at the University of Arizona.

The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology released a study that says, “cold exposure impairs extra cellular vesicle swarm.” In simple terms, our noses don’t filter out viruses as well when it’s cold.

“We are seeing a big increase in the number of students on campus who have colds, who have the flu… we're not seeing as much COVID in our clinics right now, but a lot of upper respiratory infections,” said Hamilton.

Hamilton said there’s really three main reasons why people get sick in the winter.

“We're indoors and around others more, we're more close contact with our noses. Apparently, we have the research that says they're not filtering things out as well. And some viruses, some of the rhino viruses, flu viruses-- they transmit better in colder circumstances,” said Hamilton.

Hamilton said the best practices to avoid getting sick include washing your hands, wearing a mask and keeping your hands away from your eyes, mouth and nose.