answersLogoWhite

0

Why do people get flu?

Updated: 9/7/2023
User Avatar

Wiki User

βˆ™ 11y ago

Best Answer

In climates that experience winter, the influenza virus tends to survive longer and transmit itself better in cold and dry conditions, which leads to more people contracting the flu during those colder months. In climates that do not have a winter season, however, the flu is more common in periods of high humidity and lots of rain. Scientists aren’t sure why that is, but it doesn’t seem to have to do with the immune system being weaker in the winter, contrary to some beliefs.

User Avatar

Bobby Witting

Lvl 10
βˆ™ 4y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar
More answers
User Avatar

Wiki User

βˆ™ 14y ago

It isn't particularly to do with the cold temperatures, in the winter one tends to be indoors more and therefore breath other people's viruses more.

According to recent research (by Jeffrey Shaman and Melvin Kohn), the level of humidity in the air affects the survival and transmission of viruses and may offer the best explanation. In these perspectives, viruses do best when the absolute (not relative) humidity levels are low. See the link in the related links box below.

This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Wiki User

βˆ™ 15y ago

In the winter, people tend to stay indoors in enclosed spaces, so they are closer together -- with less fresh air -- and have more opportunity to spread and contract diseases. Also, in winter the air tends to be dry. This dries out the mucous membranes in the nose and throat, which a) reduces the ability to carry away germs, and b) can cause irritation and cracking of the nasal membranes which allows airborne germs to enter the body.

Contrary to popular belief, the cold weather itself has practically nothing to do with it, apart from the above. You do not catch a cold from getting a chill. You catch it from being exposed to a cold virus to which you do not yet have immunity. In fact, chilling usually kicks the immune system into action and makes it less likely that you will catch something.

This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Wiki User

βˆ™ 11y ago

People become sick with the flu because they have contracted an infectious influenza virus. This is a ubiquitous virus that most people are exposed to multiple times throughout their lives, and is a normal and typical part of life.

This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Wiki User

βˆ™ 7y ago

There is not one single answer, but a combination of many reasons that affect how well a person fights infection. Someof these factors include:

  1. age - very young and very old have more difficulty
  2. pre-existing conditions, such as lung diseases; congenital conditions
  3. the person's immune system at the time
  4. overall health
  5. overall nutrition
  6. overall hydration
  7. other viruses or bacteria that might be present
  8. strength of the pathogen
  9. contagiousness of the pathogen
This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Jeffrey Newth

Lvl 2
βˆ™ 2y ago

People tend to congregate together indoors leading to the spread of one person’s illness to other susceptible individuals.

This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Wiki User

βˆ™ 7y ago

There could be many reasons, people are outside more, the windows are open more and the increased UV light could kill more germs in summer than winter.

This answer is:
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: Why do people get flu?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp
Related questions

What is a flu epidemic?

A flu epidemic is when a lot of people get the flu in a large area.


Why is it 'the' flu and not flu?

People usually go by what sounds best when you say it. So, when you say "I have flu" and "I have the flu" which one sounds better? Many people think it sounds better to say "the flu".


What is the origin of the name swine lu?

Swine flu was first discovered in people working with pigs. Flu is a disease that is transmitted in various forms among people, pigs, and birds. Sometimes bird flu is transmitted to pigs, and sometime pig flu is transmitted to people. What actually happens is that a pig has pig flu and catches bird flu. A chromosome from the bird flu gets mixed with the pig flu and changes it to a different type of flu. Then a person with human flu catches pig flu. A chromosome with pig and perhaps bird flu mixes with the human flu. The flu is mainly human flu but contains pig and bird flu chromosomes. It got the name swine flu because people working with pigs caught it first. Because it has the pig and bird chromosomes, people with resistance to human flu, have less resistance to swine flu.


People receives a flu shot to prevent what?

People receive flu shots to build immunity to several varieties of the flu virus.


What is spine flu?

You mean swine flu? I it is a new flu virus, very deadly to aged and young people.


Do you have to have a Swine Flu needle to survive?

To survive what? Getting the swine flu? No, you do not have to be immunized to survive. Most people will survive getting the flu, but older people and really young people are at risk of dying.


Has anyone who did not get the flu shot died from the flu?

Yes, each year in the US approximately 36,000 people die from the flu; most did not have a flu vaccination.


How do people get Flu?

Most of the time you get the flu is when someone sneezes on you of if someone coughs on you


What killed twice as many people as had died in World War 1?

The flu epidemic.


Where could you get the flu?

You can get it any place where people are, and sometimes where certain animals are (such as birds with Avian "bird" flu). It would be possible but unlikely that the flu would be with people in space since they are so well evaluated before leaving the earth, but other than that, where there are people, there can be flu viruses.


If you have the flu what would be best without the flu shots?

I'd take a flu mist. The one when it is sprayed up your nose. A lot of people get sick from flu shots.


Can people die from the regular flu?

People can die from the flu if they have some other diesease with it that breaks down their immune system.