WBRZ - Baton Rouge

Welcome to March and a reminder that wintry weather will linger. Mom relied on mustard plasters, Vick's Vapo Rub and salt-water gargling to relieve symptoms of a cold. She believed temperature changes were the cause. As noted in a previous column, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases contend cold weather is the common scapegoat for colds and viruses. Their research validates drastic changes in temperature are not responsible for these illness. Germs are primarily transmitted through direct contact and the Institute has determined that people tend to get sick, at this time of year, because of time spent indoors. In an environment of dry, indoor air, viruses thrive and are furthered through direct contact. Cold and flu prevention includes hand washing, not with layers of clothes.