My wife used to be the same, got 3-5 colds/winter. Started wearing N95 masks with Covid and hasn't had a cold since.
Basic hygiene really helps.
Though you might have unavoidable exposure (workplace, commute, etc) which increases your risk.
Basic hygiene really helps.
Though you might have unavoidable exposure (workplace, commute, etc) which increases your risk.
I was almost never sick with colds until my kid started going out with other kids. I thought I had a great immunity, it happens I only had good hygiene - washing hands, avoiding contact, rarely going to mass event during flu season and etc.
As kids have poorer hygiene habits, are in very very close contact with each other they get sick easier. After a week or so the father is sick with exactly the same symptoms.
Or if your monogamous partner is working in a kindergarten with kids and brings back home every bug they have.
Avoiding colds might not be as beneficial as we think.
What this means is that your wife's immune system isn't getting challenged and isn't learning about the ever changing pathogens around it. It's not building immunity to the various strains every winter and it therefore can't get any cross-immunity ie against SARS-COV-2 [1].
All we know about the immune system suggests this is not good in the long term.
If true and I kind of hope it's not for this reason, your wife might be setting herself up for a very serious disease down the line. I hope this is not the case and wish both of you the best of luck.
[1] https://www.mpg.de/17434954/0907-moge-prior-exposure-to-comm...
During the pandemic I started taking vitamin d. That really took the edge off of the flu. I suspect I'm a bit low on that.
I know this is might be a poor example but there are old anime series from 80s, early 90s where characters that get sick wear simple masks to protect others from spreading whatever they caught.
That's animated cartoon while in reality, whole pandemic I was observing the comments around the global and "local" Internet (as well real life convos) where people called the necessity of wearing masks as restriction of civil freedoms, and masks as "muzzles".
My sister was even harassed walking by street by some random guy who stopped his car, rolled window and ordered her to "take off this rag from face".
From what I've heard S. Koreans still prefer to wear masks despite that these aren't enforced in public space - tho, the particular places and situations where these are needed still apply.
So I wonder, do the countries that describe themselves as Western differ that much from Asia in term of public health and responsibility towards others, and just really basic hygiene? It doesn't seem to be a brainier to protect oneself and others.