A new study reveals that people with cold noses are more prone to catch colds. The immune system is less effective during low temperatures. Thus, the virus that causes the common cold replicate more easily. Viruses spread more effectively in places of cold temperatures.
Rhinovirus is the common pathogen that causes colds. However, experts have noted that in the airways, strains of the said virus replicate more easily and readily in cooler temperatures compared to the lungs.
Thus, in the journal of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers from the Yale University reveals that the cell lining in the airways produce potent antiviral response to the common colds at lung temperature compared to the cooler temperature of the nasal cavity.
According to one of the authors and professor of immunobiology at Yale, Akiko Iwasaki, past studies focused more on how the body temperature influences the virus. However, their study investigated how temperatures in the body can affect the immune system.
For the results of their study, Iwasaki said, "We found that the innate immune response to the rhinovirus is impaired at the lower body temperature compared to the core body temperature."
Hence, the results show that the changes in temperature influence the body's immune response rather the virus itself. They concluded that cooler temperatures affect the replication of the virus causing common colds by decreasing the potency of the antiviral immune response of the body.
Despite the fact that the study used mouse cells, they said that it can be a lead to a new study but now with human cells. Therefore, they suggest people to cover up their noses when it is cold to avoid catching common colds.
Prof. Iwasaki says "In general, the lower the temperature, it seems the lower the innate immune response to viruses." The study was partly funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.
