UpLifting Wellness
The December '24-January '25 installment of our UpLifting Wellness column covers new research on winter immunity and prevention of COVID-19 and syphilis.
by Samantha Anne Carrillo
Cold Nose = Lessened Immunity
Respiratory viruses thrive during winter. According to recent research, one reason why infections with inhaled respiratory viruses increase during wintertime is the cold itself.
New Research
“Cold exposure impairs extracellular vesicle swarm-mediated nasal antiviral immunity,” an article published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology in February 2023, found that, “[Toll-like receptor 3] TLR3-dependent nasal epithelial [extracellular vesicles] EVs exhibit multiple innate antiviral mechanisms to suppress respiratory viral infections … [and] our study provides a direct quantitative mechanistic explanation for seasonal variation in upper respiratory tract infection prevalence.”
What It Means
To sum up these results more plainly, reducing temperature within the human nose by even 9 degrees Fahrenheit kills nearly 50 percent of billions of helpful bacteria-fighting cells and viruses living inside our nostrils. Learn more about this study at bit.ly/jacifeb23.
Folk wisdom has long warned that getting chilled actually leads to illness and this research supports our grandmothers’ advice to dress warmly and wear cold-weather accessories like hats, gloves, and scarves. While disposable face masks aren’t especially thick, rocking a mask effectively provides a physical barrier against cold air and resulting intranasal temps.
Yes, Virginia, There’s [Still] Coronavirus
Whether you and yours have travel plans or celebrate holidays during December—like Ashura, Christmas, Hanukkah, Késhmish, Kwanzaa, or Yule—or not, note that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, a.k.a. SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19, is still firmly part of our new normal.
COVID in New Mexico
According to the New Mexico Department of Health’s (NMDOH) Viral Respiratory Infection Dashboard, COVID-19 (3.61 percent), influenza (.73 percent), and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV, .04 percent) were responsible for a combined 4.38 percent of all emergency department discharge diagnoses in Bernalillo County from Oct. 21, 2024 - Nov. 3, 2024. Explore the dashboard yourself at bit.ly/nmvrid. Learn more about and schedule effective, updated 2024-2025 vaccines for COVID-19, flu, RSV, and other communicable illnesses—whether you're insured or not—at vaccine.doh.nm.gov.
Protecting Yourself
Your best defense against infection with any respiratory virus involves staying up to date on vaccinations and practicing common-sense infection control methods, like masking up in crowded public spaces, washing hands frequently and thoroughly, and staying home from work or school when you’re ill or testing positive.
NM Ranks First in Congenital Syphilis
On Oct. 18, the New Mexico Department of Health (DOH) renewed a public health order targeting an increase in congenital syphilis cases in the state. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), New Mexico has the highest rate of congenital syphilis—meaning present at birth due to exposure in utero—in the country and ranks second-highest in its rate of primary/secondary syphilis, based on 2022 data.
What Is Syphilis?
Syphilis is a curable sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by exposure to the bacterium Treponema pallidum. This bacterium causes infection via broken skin or mucus membranes and is most commonly transmitted through sexual contact. The state DOH reported a 20 percent increase in congenital syphilis cases during 2023 over the previous year’s 91 reported cases.
Why It Matters
In 2023, 16 fetal deaths and one infant death related to congenital syphilis were reported to DOH, and simple blood or swab testing could have prevented these unnecessary losses of life. In the press release authorizing the renewal, DOH Cabinet Secretary Patrick Allen said, “Babies are dying, and together we can stop that. This renewed public health order is a necessary response to protect the health and lives of our children and the residents in our state.”
New Rules
Key provisions of the updated order include: syphilis screening for all adults aged 18 to 50; syphilis testing for pregnant individuals in first trimester; syphilis testing for pregnant individuals in their third trimester; syphilis testing for pregnant individuals at the time of delivery; syphilis testing for pregnant individuals who present to an urgent care or emergency room; syphilis testing with an intrauterine fetal demise at any gestational age; and syphilis testing for pregnant individuals at correctional facilities at specified intervals and events. Learn more about this public health order at: bit.ly/syphnm.