Posted on 02/10/2009 2:56:20 PM PST by CutePuppy
Grandma may have been right about keeping a teakettle warming on the stove in winter to moisten the air.
Studies of seasonal influenza have long found indications that flu spreads better in dry air.
Now, new research being published Tuesday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, indicates that the key is the absolute humidity - which measures the amount of water present in the air, regardless of temperature - not the more commonly reported relative humidity.
Relative humidity varies depending on air temperature; absolute humidity doesn't.
"The correlations were surprisingly strong. When absolute humidity is low, influenza virus survival is prolonged and transmission rates go up," said Jeffrey Shaman, an Oregon State University atmospheric scientist who specializes in ties between climate and disease transmission
The finding "is very important for the scientific community and the medical community to know to develop better prediction models of influenza," Shaman said in a telephone interview. It will offer the chance to better understand and forecast the spread of the disease.
For the public, he added, it offers a "more elegant explanation for why we see these seasonal spikes" in flu. And, he added, it shows that in some cases it may be worthwhile to add humidity to the air. Beware of overdoing it, though - too much humidity can lead to other problems, such as mould.
The correlation with flu and low humidity is important because in cold winter weather, when flu is most common, even a high relative humidity reading may indicate little actual moisture in the air, and the less moisture there is, the happier the flu virus seems to be.
.....
"Consequently, outbreaks of influenza typically occur in winter when low absolute humidity conditions strongly favour influenza survival and transmission."
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Time to put another kettle of water on the stove...
Not just toxic mold but the awful little bugggies it attracts. NEVER GO OVER 33 PERCENT. Take it frm me , I am living this nightmare!
Sounds like your toxic mold is very technologically advanced for its age. You may have to take care of it first, before proceeding to humidity treatment against influenza.
A kettle on the stove is great for the complexion, too.
Thank goodness your toxic mold just wrote bad checks, my toxic mold voted for Porkulus.
I was in the hospital for a cardiac procedure in November. I got to my hospital room around 6pm, but it was so hot and stuffy, that by 10, I'd started coughing, and got an earache. My hubby asked the nurses if it were possible to turn the heat down, and they did. I slept much better once the room was cooler. I went home the following day, so I didn't have to worry about breathing in all that carp.
Hey glad to see ya around here Valerie !
I have missed your pics of Texas !
Glad to see you in good spirits, and hope everything is well or better now.
Helping to flush mucus out early and often with warm saline water, and keeping membranes (and entire body) hydrated, is one of the most effective treatments against rhinovirus and influenza. Probably the same concept is behind the “chicken soup cure”.
Our #2 son introduced me to the Neti Wash Pot, which, I believe, is an Asian Indian treatment. The little pot looks like Alladin’s lamp. You mix 1/2 cup of warm water with 1/4 tsp of salt, and, tilting your head sideways, pour the water into one nostril so that it goes through the sinus cavity and out the other nostril. Then, you repeat the process with the other nostril. I can tell you that it works like a charm for keeping your sinuses clear! There’s a You Tube video about it, but our son warned me that the chick demonstrating it looked like a zombie, and he was right! LOL!
Yeah, it feels kinda strange, at first, like when you get water up your nose when you’re swimming. But I just breathe slowly through my mouth, to keep myself nice and calm, and it works like a charm!
Consider yourself “waterboarded” ;-)
By accident, I caught Neti ‘demonstration’ on TV recently, so I know what it is. There are other ways to flush / clean and achieve the same effect, with or without specialized utensils, but whatever works or makes it easier!
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