That's Fit

Whenever someone asks why the flu is always worse in the winter, health experts usually reply with a few of the same theories. One is that we're all inside more in the wintertime, and therefore are more likely to spread germs around. Two is that dry winter air makes our respiratory passages more susceptible to infections. While those theories may still hold water, new research about the flu bug itself have some scientists wondering if they've happened upon a new way to beat the flu.

Researchers from the NIH recently discovered that the flu virus can coat itself with a fatty material that hardens in cooler temperatures. When the virus enters a human body, the warm temperature melts the fatty material and the virus is free to cause an infection. When the weather warms up outside, the fatty material melts away and the virus dies.

In time, this may lead to a soap or cleanser that destroys that fatty outer layer. Until then, health experts recommend hand washing, exercise, and a healthy diet to ward off the flu.