Cold blasts this week could worsen the spread of flu

[Weather](/section/weather) Cold blasts this week could worsen the spread of flu The cold weather is ideal for flu transmission.   Author: Julie Martin ATLANTA — As an especially harsh flu season remains in full swing, much of the country will be huddling indoors this week as [blasts of arctic air settle in across the eastern half](/article/weather/national-weather-forecast-this-week/507-3db90306-3114-4ebb-8a7b-d5a764460381) of the United States. That's bad news for millions, as the flu favors cold air and close quarters.   Cold weather creates ideal conditions for the flu to spread.  In colder, drier air, the virus’s outer coating hardens, helping it survive longer and travel farther in the tiny droplets we breathe out.  At the same time, your body’s defenses take a hit: cold air dries out nasal passages and constricts blood vessels in the nose, reducing the germ-fighting cells that normally trap and kill viruses.  Add in more time spent indoors—where people are in close contact and ventilation is limited—and winter becomes peak season for flu transmission. New [data r](https://www.cdc.gov/fluview/surveillance/2025-week... --- *Note: This is a summarized excerpt. Click the source link above to read the full story.*