Moist Cure

Introduction

Want to keep the flu at bay? Kick up the humidity in your room. Survival of influenza virus is directly linked with absolute humidity. When absolute humidity is low—as in peak flu months of January and February—the virus survives longer and spreads faster from one person to another and vice versa.

It has been found that at humidity levels of 23 per cent, 70 to 77 per cent of the flu virus particles are able to cause an infection an hour after someone coughs. But at a humidity level of 43 per cent, just 14 per cent of virus particles retain the ability to infect.

Source

Down To Earth, March 2013