02 January 2024 , 13:25
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A disease expert has put forward a tantalising cure for the common cold this Christmas – lots of sex.
Cold and flu vaccines expert Dr Phil Sizer has offered advice for Brits suffering with the winter coughs and sniffles this year. With the sickness season well underway, new research sheds light on a peculiar aspect of couple dynamics during winter illnesses - relieving cold symptoms through intimate moments.
Recent research by STADA/Thornton & Ross, the makers of Knect personal lubricant, 77 per cent of coupled-up Brits hesitate to engage in intimacy when one partner is under the weather, fearing the spread of germs.
Despite the unromanticness of someone coughing or sneezing on you during the act, research indicates that sex can not only temporarily clear a stuffy nose, but can also boost the production of Immunoglobin A (IgA), which galvanises the immune system. Oddly enough, some people actually find themselves craving sex when they have a cold because the body is subconsciously seeking what it knows can help it.
Dr. Phil Sizer,who taught England’s chief medical officer Professor Sir Chris Whitty, pointed out the significance of supporting the immune system through healthy habits and vaccinations.
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"This is a timely report in the season of respiratory infections, whether these are due to influenza, rhinovirus (otherwise known as the cold virus), Coronavirus or one of the other many respiratory viruses. The Covid-19 pandemic has made us consider not only our individual susceptibility to infection and consequent potential illness but also the impact of our own infectiousness and transmission to others", he said.
Cold and flu vaccines expert Dr Phil Sizer (Supplied)"We can help support our natural immune system to combat these viruses through a healthy diet, exercise - whichever form that might take, and through vaccinations. Flu vaccines help protect against the main strains of influenza in circulation and may also help stop you spreading to other people who could be more vulnerable to infection."
The independent research by STADA studied the answers of 32,000 respondents worldwide, including 2,000 Brits.
British women are more averse to the idea of sex with a sick partner than men, with almost one-third of men willing to take the "germ gamble." Seventy-five per cent of people won’t even give their partners a kiss when they have a cold, for fear of catching the virus themselves.