Can being out in the cold without a jumper really make you sick?

A doctor has busted an age-old myth as to whether being out in the winter cold can make you sick.

Dr Zac Turner, a doctor and biomedical scientist, said cold weather simply doesn’t cause colds and flus. 

Speaking to FEMAIL, Dr Turner explained the reason why more people get sick in winter has to do with three things – body temperature, being in close proximity with others and lack of sunlight.

‘In winter, we tend to be exposed to less sunlight, exercise less, our body temperature dips so we stay indoors – creating a perfect storm for viruses and bacteria to spread, making us sick,’ he said.

In short, it is viruses and bacteria, and the increased likelihood of being in close proximity during winter that cause sickness – not the cold itself.

Speaking to FEMAIL, Dr Turner said the cold itself does not make you sick

Why do more people get sick in winter?

Dr Turner said viruses generally target the upper respiratory system and tend to spread via droplets or mucus when someone coughs, breathes, talks or sneezes near another person. 

People tend to stay indoors surrounded by others for longer periods of time in winter, giving viruses and bacteria an opportunity to spread from person to person quickly. 

Combining little sunlight, less exercise, a decrease in body temperature and being close to others gives unwanted viruses an optimum zone to replicate and infect the body. 

As a result, more people tend to get sick in winter compared to the warmer months. 

Dr Turner added that you may begin to notice early symptoms of the flu – such as a scratchy throat or a fever – so it’s essential to attempt to fight off the virus by ‘sweating it out’.

‘A fever isn’t such a bad thing – it signals the body is trying to something by raising the temperature – so rug up, drink hot tea and lie under a blanket for about an hour to fight it off,’ he said.

‘Viruses live within our own bodies and can spread easily because they need to keep moving around. Whereas bacteria can live on us, like our hands.

‘Sometimes people can live with a bacterial virus for 48 hours or longer before it starts to impact the body.’

‘In winter, we tend to be exposed to less sunlight, exercise less, our body temperature dips and we stay in close proximity to each other – creating a perfect storm for viruses and bacteria to spread, making us sick,’ Dr Turner said (stock image) 

Why is it called ‘cold and flu season?’

In winter the virulence or potency of viruses tends to be much stronger because of the cooler weather and less amount of harsh sunlight.

Dr Turner said in the warmer months people tend to exercise more often, which is both good for serotonin levels and killing viruses and bacteria as the body temperature increases during a workout. 

‘Instead of working out or sitting in the sun during winter, we stay indoors and don’t get much sunshine. Along with this we are often in more tightly couldn’t find quarters,’ he said. 

‘As you hang around a warm fire, you’re often breathing onto other people who then could turn to absorb a little bit of the virus that you have cause viruses spread very easily.’ 

With this in mind, both viruses and bacteria spread easily, hence why winter is called ‘cold and flu season’.  

Dr Turner also added two people could be exposed to the same virus but have completely different responses depending on their immunity and whether they’ve had it before.