Does being cold make you sick?

If you think being cold can make you sick, science disagrees. 

Grandma’s theory that you’ll catch your death of cold has been studied from labs to the Canadian Rockies to Antarctica - and researchers can’t find a definite link. While frostbite and hypothermia are legitimate concerns, being cold alone will not make you sick.

However, cold temperatures could increase the odds you’ll catch a virus, regardless of how you’re dressed. That’s because certain viruses thrive in cold, dry air. If you touch or breathe them in, that hat and coat will provide little protection. More time spent indoors and close contact with other people’s germs pose a greater risk than venturing outside in cold weather, even with wet hair.