Researchers Dispute Common Thoughts on Flu Transmission

Seasonal flu has been a cause for concern for centuries, and debate about the conditions under which it is transmitted are usually discussed each winter. Common thought held that being cooped up indoors, where warm temperatures reign, and high humidity is frequent is an accelerant to transmission.

For the first time, researchers have tested that hypothesis. According to a study published in the journal PLoS Pathogens, twenty runs were run to determine what the truth of the matter was. Relative humidity was varied from 20 to 80%, and temperatures were 41, 68, and 86 degrees Fahrenheit.

The research was done at Mount Sinai Medical School of Medicine, and found that with temperatures held constant, the higher the humidity, the less transmission of the virus was noted. At 80% humidity, no transmission was noted. Next the same tests were done varying the temperature at the three increments, with humidity also increased at each temperature. Again, higher temperatures equaled less transmission, with no transmission at the 86 degree level.

It would appear that common wisdom has been wrong a very long time.

-

[tags] influenza, transmission modes, common wisdom, pathogens, Mt. Sinai Medical School of Medicine [/tags]