Common cold myths: true, myth or partly?

Common cold myths have been around for decades, and the research answers them more carefully than most people expect. Read each statement, choose an answer and see what the studies found.

People get sick more in winter simply because it is cold.
Dry air helps the flu virus.
If you get chilled, you catch a cold.
Not sleeping enough raises your chance of catching a cold.
Stress has no effect on catching a cold.
If you take vitamin C, you won't catch colds.
Echinacea is proven to protect against colds.
The more kinds of social ties a person has, the less often they catch colds.
A sudden cold snap is harder on the heart than a sudden warm-up.
An "allergy to temperature changes" is an ordinary allergy.
Fewer people die in winter in countries with mild winters.

Informational material, not medical advice. This is a knowledge check, not a health assessment. For questions about how you feel, talk to a doctor.