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Ask an Expert - Are American Fan-Based Businesses at Risk for Decreased Revenue?
Modern fandom, according to Mike Lewis, is about having a passion for something—a sports team, entertainer, politician, fashion brand, a university—something. Lewis, professor of marketing and faculty director, Emory Marketing and Analytics Center (EmoryMAC) and host of the podcast, Fanalytics, considers fandom important because what people are fans of defines a modern culture. We can laugh at the sports fan with the painted face and the open shirt and the spikes on the sleeves, but the reality is, the traits that drive that level of enthusiasm and commitment are the traits that change the world outside of the arena. Mike Lewis, professor of marketing and director of EmoryMAC To better understand modern fandom and its effect on culture, Lewis, along with Yanwen Wang, Associate Professor of Marketing and Behavioral Science, and Canada Research Chair in Marketing Analytics, University of British Columbia, created EmoryMAC’s “Fandom Analytics Initiative.” The Fandom Analytics Initiative’s first report, Next Generation Fandom Survey, Generation Z: The Lost Generation of Male Sports Fans, published in September 2021, examines the results of a national survey the initiative commissioned. Nearly 1,400 people across four demographic groups—Generation Z, Millennials, Generation X and Baby Boomers—participated in the survey. Is Gen Z the Lost Generation of Male Sports Fans? The results reveal a somewhat troubling trend: Generation Z males (those born between 1990 and 2010) “seem to be increasingly indifferent and negative to traditional sports,” Lewis and Wang write in their report. “Generation Z’s relative lack of passion for sports and other categories is troubling for fandom-based businesses and a curiosity for those interested in the state of American society.” While only 23 percent of Generation Z defined themselves as “avid sports fans,” 42 percent of Millennials did, along with 33 percent of Gen Xers and 31 percent of Baby Boomers. Perhaps even more revealing is the percentage of respondents who considered themselves “anti-sports fans”—a startling 27 percent of Generation Z tagged themselves as “anti-sports” compared to 7 percent of Millennials, 5 percent of Gen X, and 6 percent of Baby Boomers. “That was unexpected,” says Lewis, who thought Generation Z would line up similar to Millennials, given that both groups are digital natives. “I’m still more and more surprised at how different Generation Z is than Millennials and, frankly, everyone else.” When Lewis and Wang took a look at the differences between male and female Generation Zers, things got even more interesting. In traditional sports categories (football, basketball, hockey, baseball, soccer), more Generation Z females defined themselves as “avid sports fans” than did their male counterparts. When it came to football, 20 percent of both Generation Z males and females described themselves as avid fans (the lowest percentage of all the demographic groups). But in every other traditional sport, Generation Z “avid sports fan” females outnumbered males by a discernable margin. Only when it came to eSports did Generation Z males outnumber Generation Z females. “I think there’s a very deep issue going on,” says Lewis. “Something fundamental has shifted.” The survey included questions about fandom-related psychological traits, specifically, community belonging and self-identity. On both, Generation Z males scored lower than Millennials. “The findings related to sports are particularly germane from a cultural perspective,” states the report. “Part of the lack of Generation Z fandom is due to younger individuals having less intense feelings of group belonging in general.” Beyond the Playing Field, How Does Loyalty Shine? While the report doesn’t take a deep dive into the psychology behind Generation Z’s fandom differences, it does note that Generation Z came of age during a time of “ubiquitous social media, dramatic demographic changes, and a hyper-partisan political environment,” they write. “These dramatic changes may fundamentally alter how members of Generation Z engage with cultural industries.” Overall, Millennials were shown to have the “highest preference across all sports,” according to the report. Millennials are not only willing to watch games, but they also enthusiastically wear team gear. Baby Boomers are up for watching games but are less interested in following teams on social media. As it turns out, note the authors, Generation Z isn’t totally disconnected. Across the entertainment categories, Generation Z is similar to other generations. “Sports fandom is the outlier,” they state. In addition to sports, Lewis and Wang looked at six other fandom segments: new and now celebrities, social justice culture, athletic excellence, old school personalities, brand fanatics, and Trump Fans. Lewis points to the fact that whatever one thinks of Donald Trump, he does generate fandom. “That passion for whatever it is—sports, politics, movies, music—that’s really what drives the world,” says Lewis. Because of its importance, fandom is, notes the study, “increasingly actively managed,” whether to garner viewers, money, or votes. Recent trends such as streaming across devices, the ubiquity of social media, an increase in demographic diversity (not to mention a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic), have affected mainstream sports and entertainment. As a result, Lewis believes it’s important to study how fans are changing across generations. Leagues, teams, networks, studios, celebrities, and others need to understand why there is less engagement to formulate strategies for acquiring the next generation of fans. Authors Mike Lewis and Yanwen Wang As sports leagues and teams see more growth opportunities with women and increasingly diverse fan bases, Lewis wonders if some sports teams may alienate their current fan bases by marketing to non-traditional groups. “If you’re a league or a team, you’ve got a real dilemma at this point,” he explains. “If the NFL wants positive press, it has to market to the non-traditional fan segments. If they do that, are the traditional fan segments going to be less interested? Perhaps.” EmoryMAC’s research on fandom in the modern age is ongoing. A study into how eSports’ fandom differs from traditional sports fandom is also in process—as is research on how younger demographic groups see colleges and universities as institutions worthy of fandom. EmoryMAC will continue to make data and insights available on its fandom analytics website. “Looking at the fandom and passion of young groups now will tell you a lot about what the world will look like in 20 years,” says Lewis. I suspect that the era of sports being a mass marketing product and also a cultural unifier is probably going to end. Mike Lewis While that strikes Lewis as sad, he and EmoryMAC are merely following the data. “It may be the reality of where this is going,” he adds. If you're a reporter looking to know more - then let us help. Professor Michael Lewis is an Associate Professor of Marketing at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. In addition to exploring trends in the overall marketing landscape, Lewis is an expert in sports analytics and marketing. He is available for interview - simply click on his icon to arrange a discussion today.
Ask an Expert: Are airline concerns over 5G technology warranted?
Airlines around the world announced they were grounding planes this week as the rollout of 5G technology was set to begin. Major providers AT&T and Verizon halted their 5G rollout plans amidst the airlines’ claims that the technology would render a large swath of their aircraft unusable. Dr. Steven Holland, an associate professor at Milwaukee School of Engineering, helps sort out the validity of the airlines’ claims and explain why they are so concerned. Dr. Holland is an expert in electromagnetics, antennas and microwave/radio frequency circuits. “5G wireless systems promise transformational increases in wireless internet speed and connectivity. A key to the higher network speeds is increased 5G radio frequency spectrum usage. While reduced speed 5G has been operational in parts of the US for several years, new 5G frequency spectrum was set to become operational in early December 2021 and offer significantly higher network speeds. “However, rollout was delayed one month when the FAA raised warnings that 5G towers operating in this new spectrum could interfere with airplane radar altimeters, which operate at frequencies just above this new 5G spectrum. Altimeters are critical instruments in modern aircraft that measure a plane’s altitude, and thus potential interference could be disastrous. “While the altimeter and 5G frequency bands do not overlap, they are relatively close together, and the altimeter standards were set decades ago when the radio spectrum was far less crowded. As a result, the altimeter circuitry was not designed to operate in the vicinity of systems like the 5G towers that will transmit radio signals so close to the altimeter frequency range. “Due to limited testing, the FAA and FCC were not able to determine conclusively if the interference concern is warranted before the month-long delay expired in early January, and so an additional two-week delay was instituted. This brings us to today, January 19th – and still no conclusion has been reached by the FCC and FAA. To avoid further rollout delays, today several wireless carriers deployed the new 5G operating band on their networks except for those towers near airports. More extensive testing is needed to determine whether 5G interference is truly a risk to the altimeter systems.” Dr. Holland is available to speak with media about 5G technology and how it can impact aircraft. Simply click on his icon below to arrange an interview today.
Research offers larger implications for health care environments Some of the most dangerous contaminants aren’t visible to the naked eye, but Georgia Southern University researchers are working to protect construction workers from this invisible danger. In the construction world, chronic exposure to crystalline silica, which is present in dust particles created from drilling, grinding and sawing on job sites, can lead to serious medical issues and preventable fatalities. Atin Adhikari, Ph.D, associate professor in Georgia Southern’s Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, has been awarded a $28,400 grant from Poma 22, LLC, to test new air curtain technology that could protect construction workers from hazardous fine dust particles. As the principal investigator (PI), Adhikari will work with co-PIs Aniruddha Mitra, Ph.D, professor of mechanical engineering, and Saman Hedjazi, Ph.D, assistant professor of civil engineering and construction management, from Georgia Southern’s Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing. “This research is important and innovative because we will test a revolutionary technology against fine dust exposure in construction sites that integrates a filtered air duct system into a hard hat, creating an air curtain or armor,” said Adhikari. “If we get a promising result, then this technology can be applied against other types of particles including bioparticles present in healthcare work environments.” Graduate research assistant Victoria Clower, who is earning a Master of Public Health in environmental health sciences, values her involvement in life-changing research. “This study of new technology on dust exposure control in construction sites will be very valuable with the quantifiable results showing the effectiveness of the air curtain technology,” she said. “As someone who is interested in occupational health, I am excited to work on a study that may provide an opportunity for other innovations for workplace safety to improve.” The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational and Safety Health Administration estimates roughly 2.3 million people in the U.S. are exposed to silica at work. Workers at risk can develop lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and kidney disease. In addition, approximately 500 preventable silica-related deaths occur each year. As an environmental public health researcher, Adhikari has published numerous peer-reviewed studies on air quality and filtration. This project will focus on testing a newly developed respiratory protection technology, the Z Flow Pro helmet, which provides a downward draft through the front of the helmet, creating an air curtain in front of the worker’s face. Previous research has found that the air curtain is strong enough to deflect larger, visible particles. Adhikari and his team will conduct comprehensive field testing of this new technology to determine if it is also effective protection against fine particles, providing valuable information and justification on the readiness level of this product to protect construction workers. If you’re a journalist looking to cover this new testing that Georgia Southern is a major part of – then let us help. Atin Adhikari is available to answer your questions - simply reach out to Georgia Southern Director of Communications Jennifer Wise at jwise@georgiasouthern.edu to arrange an interview today.
Function – not fashion. What masks are the best to get behind when facing the risk of Omicron?
Omicron is here and it is spreading like wildfire across America and most of the globe. It’s highly transmissible and easily caught. For more than a year, most Americans have been taking on the simple approach of ‘masking up’ to contain any possible spread. People were using anything from surgical masks, N95s, cloth masks and even gators. Whatever could be used to provide a barrier around one’s nose and mouth. Cloth masks caught on, some even became fashion pieces – but as this most recent wave of COVID has shown, the type of mask is now just as important as the idea of simply covering up and looking good. “Cloth masks and things like that are very comfortable and they have good coverage on the face,” says Rodger D. MacArthur from the Medical College of Georgia. “But they don’t fit so tight and so air and any virus that’s in the air and come through the sides.” MacArthur who brings 20 years experience in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Augusta University says medical surgical masks are best for getting the most protection. "It’s not simply being so close to somebody that you sneeze on them, you splatter them with droplets. It’s in the air we’re breathing.” He just keeps a disposable one folded up in his pocket, but encourages the highest forms of protection you can find. Masks have been a popular and contentious topic during this pandemic and there’s a lot to know about this important topic – and if you are a reporter looking to cover this story – then let our experts help. Dr. Rodger MacArthur is a widely recognized expert in COVID-19, HIV antiretroviral therapy, resistance to antiretroviral drugs, and sepsis. He is available to speak with media – simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.
Georgia Southern University has established a new research and outreach center, the Institute for Water and Health, to investigate the complex interactions between water and human activities, and protect and restore public health in a changing environment. As part of the University’s focus on public impact research, the center will foster collaboration among scientists, government agencies, industry, nonprofit organizations and communities. Coastal Georgia is the perfect location for such an institute to conduct interdisciplinary research because it lies at the intersection of many social, economic and ecological issues. The center supports the region through research, workforce training for students, and actively involving communities in water resource management decision-making process, said Asli Aslan, Ph.D., associate professor in Georgia Southern’s Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Environmental Health Sciences. Now also director of the Institute for Water and Health, Aslan is a water microbiologist, and her research program bridges ecosystem and human health. She has ongoing funded projects on tracking sources of water pollution and assessing health risks associated with exposure to chemical and microbial contaminants. She works with local communities and nonprofit organizations to encourage water stewardship behaviors. Aslan has served in various federal and state agencies and organizations as an adviser, reviewer, scientific committee member and affiliated faculty. She is also the founder and currently the co-chair of the Water and Health Committee of the American Public Health Association. “We want to create a nationally recognized institution that provides meaningful solutions for community needs,” said Aslan. “Our immediate plan is to develop a coalition with all stakeholders in the region to address issues related to increased water demand, impact of sea-level rise on water resources, and potential emerging contaminants in our urban and rural water infrastructure. We are in the process of establishing a community advisory group consisting of scientists from academic institutions, representatives from local and state governments, community leaders, non-profit organizations and businesses to identify and prioritize community needs in water research and education.” For example, she said, although one in every six households in Georgia has a private well, few residents realize any water testing, treatment or well maintenance is the sole responsibility of the property owner as per the Safe Drinking Water Act. Aslan said the Institute for Water and Health will work with the homeowners to help them recognize potential risks and provide solutions that will keep families safe in the long term. “We also look at sources of contaminants using state-of-the-art-methods. And if you know where the pollution is coming from precisely, it’s easier to go fix that problem once and for all, which has a direct impact on the decision-making process to protect water resources.” she said. These new techniques allow researchers with the institute to provide test results within a few hours, which helps end-users to be informed the same day instead of days where most water testing methods currently take about 48 hours. The implications of these methods are broad, as they can be used to identify pathogens in storm water or in household drinking water pipes; assess how new sustainable water treatment technologies efficiently remove contaminants, or provide same-day results for recreational beach monitoring. “We can do all this fancy research in the lab, but it will be very important for us to go out into the community and talk to people, ask them what their immediate needs – our goal is to involve communities from the very beginning of our research so that we co-develop meaningful solutions that will improve the quality of their everyday lives,” Aslan said. “Our group at Georgia Southern consists of established researchers from multiple disciplines such as environmental education, public health, social and behavioral sciences, environmental and computational engineering, coastal ecology, and we are growing everyday”. Carl L. Reiber, Ph.D., Georgia Southern’s provost and vice president for academic affairs, said the center will pull together faculty from across the University, many of whom have already established themselves as water experts within their own discipline. He expects the center to take a very visible role for the University and is renovating space in Savannah near the Armstrong campus to house the center and its labs. “The Institute for Water and Health will bring to southeast Georgia an awareness of the importance of water quality, water management and how tightly these areas are aligned with our health,” Reiber said. “The public impact of this institute is immeasurable and will ultimately increase the quality of life in our community.” If you're a journalist looking to know more about this topic or are looking to cover - then let us help. Asli Aslan, Ph.D., is a water microbiologist, and her research program bridges ecosystem and human health. She has ongoing funded projects on microbial source tracking, health risk assessment of water resources, and the ecology of pathogens in the aquatic environment. She is available to speak with reporters – simply click her icon now to arrange an interview today.
New £1.5 million healthcare simulation facilities to open at Aston University
New clinical simulation facilities for medical, pharmacy and optometry students are set to open in 2022 Including an ocular simulation unit facility which will be the only one in Europe, as part of further investment in clinical facilities in the College of Health and Life Sciences at Aston University. The facilities are part funded by the Office for Students which awarded the University £806,226 to set up a ‘high fidelity’ simulation A&E room with further expenditure by Aston University on an ocular simulation unit. Aston Medical and Pharmacy School students will be able to practise in emergency settings using high quality manikins where they will simulate treating patients for acute conditions such as a heart attack or learning how to intubate a patient onto a ventilator. The high-fidelity acute care simulation room will be equipped with recording facilities, a debrief room and control room. The funding will allow for the purchase of other training equipment such as a hospital grade bed and single task trainer simulation equipment. For example, male and female catheterisation models, pelvic and rectal trainers, venepuncture arms, breast trainers and abdominal trainers. Professor Liz Moores, deputy dean of the College of Health and Life Sciences, said: “We are really excited to have the support from both the Office for Students and Aston University in building these state-of-the-art facilities for our students and can’t wait to start using them. “The acute care simulation room will allow us to simulate a variety of emergency resuscitation scenarios that are very difficult to teach in real life situations, such as heart attacks, acute breathlessness and severe allergic reaction and will be of great value in training students of medicine and pharmacy.” Students in the School of Optometry will also be equipped with simulation facilities to carry out treatment on patients. Professor James Wolffsohn, head of the School of Optometry said: “The ocular simulation facility at Aston University will be unique in Europe, allowing students to refine their skills in examining the health of the front and back of the eyes and to experience a wide range of eye disease. “One of the simulators even allows them to utilise their smartphone to practice at home. They can gain direct feedback and be assessed by the simulators, allowing more flexible, diverse and intensive learning than can be achieved with clinical practice placements.” It is hoped these facilities will help plug some of the gaps in clinical placements that are currently affecting students since the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the pandemic, alternative ways are being explored to gain high quality authentic ‘clinical’ experiences, whilst not exposing patients, staff, or students, to risk. The health crisis has also increased pressure on the NHS creating a need for alternative but appropriate training facilities, to ensure that students are fully prepared for the medical profession. The simulation facilities are due to be open in time for the September 2022 intake of students.
Will Biden’s Plan to Resettle Afghans Transform the U.S. Refugee Program?
Among the high-profile anti-immigration policies that characterized the four years of Donald Trump’s presidency was a dramatic contraction in refugee resettlement in the United States. President Biden has expressed support for restoring U.S. leadership, and increased commitment is needed to help support the more than 80 million people worldwide displaced by political violence, persecution, and climate change, says UConn expert Kathryn Libal. As Libal writes, with co-author and fellow UConn professor Scott Harding, in a recent article for the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, the rapid evacuation of more than 60,000 Afghans pushed the Biden administration to innovate by expanding community-based refugee resettlement and creating a private sponsorship program. But more resources are needed to support programs that were severely undermined in previous years and to support community-based programs that help refugees through the resettlement process: Community sponsorship also encourages local residents to “invest” in welcoming refugees. Under existing community sponsorship efforts, volunteers often have deep ties to their local communities—critical for helping refugees secure housing, and gain access to employment, education, and health care. As these programs expand, efforts to connect refugees to community institutions and stakeholders, which are crucial to help facilitate their social integration, may be enhanced. As Chris George, Executive Director of Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services in New Haven, Connecticut, has observed, “It’s better for the refugee family to have a community group working with them that knows the schools and knows where to shop and knows where the jobs are.” As more local communities take responsibility for sponsoring refugee families, the potential for a more durable resettlement program may be enhanced. In the face of heightened polarization of refugee and immigration policies, community sponsorship programs can also foster broad-based involvement in refugee resettlement. In turn, greater levels of community engagement can help challenge opposition toward and misinformation about refugees and create greater public support for the idea of refugee resettlement. Yet these efforts are also fraught with significant challenges. Sponsor circle members may have limited capacity or skills to navigate the social welfare system, access health care services, or secure affordable housing for refugees. If group members lack familiarity with the intricacies of US immigration law, helping Afghans designated as “humanitarian parolees” attain asylum status may prove daunting. Without adequate training and ongoing support from resettlement agencies and caseworkers, community volunteers may experience “burn out” from these various responsibilities. Finally, “successful” private and community sponsorship efforts risk providing justification to the arguments of those in support of the privatization of the USRAP and who claim that the government’s role in resettlement should be limited. Opponents of refugee resettlement could argue that community groups are more effective than the existing public–private resettlement model and seek to cut federal funding and involvement in resettlement. Such action could ultimately limit the overall number of refugees the United States admits in the future. December 11 - Georgetown Journal of International Affairs. If you are a journalist looking to know more about this topic – then let us help with your coverage and questions. An associate professor of social work and human rights, Kathryn Libal is the director of UConn's Human Rights Institute and is an expert on human rights, refugee resettlement, and social welfare. She is available to speak with media – click on her icon now to arrange an interview.
'Tangled Up' reveals science and history of Alzheimer's
A new book from leading University of East Anglia dementia expert Prof Michael Hornberger investigates the science and history of Alzheimer's disease. 'Tangled Up - The science and history of Alzheimer's disease' is available as a paperback or e-book. Prof Hornberger researches groups that are at higher risk of developing dementia (because of genetics, lifestyle or their other health condition) and works to help reduce this risk or delay the symptoms of dementia. He also explores the nature of support for those who have been diagnosed with dementia and helping the patients and their families and carers prepare for the future. His background is as a neuroscientist and his work involves using innovative techniques (such as online games and driver behaviour) to identify the spatial or navigation issues that can occur long before before diagnosis of dementia and before the traditional impacts on memory arise. He developed the mobile game Sea Hero Quest that can detect people at risk of Alzheimer's. His work enables early prediction of the likelihood of dementia (sometimes a decade ahead) and the opportunity to manage the onset and reduce risk by as much as 30 per cent. Prof Michael Hornberger, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said: “Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia in the UK. It affects around one in 14 people over the age of 65 and one in every six people over the age or 80 – and it can affect memory, thinking skills and other mental abilities. “I wanted to write a book to help people better understand the science and history of Alzheimer’s disease. “It covers everything from the causes of Alzheimer’s, through to why people with Alzheimer’s ‘live in the past’ and practical advice for how people can reduce the risk of developing it. “At the end of the book, you will have become an Alzheimer’s disease science expert and can use your newfound knowledge to untangle this devastating disease,” he added.
New £2.8 million MRI scanner installed at Aston Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment
Installation of a new £2.8 million MRI scanner is due to start at Aston University in the Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment (IHN) to replace the existing ageing unit in the Day Hospital on campus. The state-of-the-art facility will be installed over a period of four months, including work being undertaken to remove the old machine from the building. This will involve several complex crane lifts outside the Day Hospital to remove the existing scanner. The internal spaces will then be refurbished before the new scanner is lifted into the building in February 2022. The new Siemens MAGNETOM Prisma 3T MRI scanner will enhance the world-class neuroimaging research facilities within the Institute. Currently Aston University researchers use advanced neuroimaging techniques to discover biomarkers of brain health in children with neurological disease. By detecting those biomarkers, researchers are able to determine those who are at risk of longer term poor cognitive, behavioural and health outcomes with the goal/vision of providing early support to those children who need it most. The new scanner will also enable the Institute to provide the most recent innovations in MRI for patients visiting through the clinical service: Aston University Imaging. Patients visiting for MRI scans come through private referrals, as well as from local institutions such as the Birmingham Royal Ballet and Aston Villa football club. Professor Jackie Blissett, co-director, Aston Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment (IHN), said: “The installation of our new MRI scanner is tremendously exciting. This state-of-the-art equipment is core to our child-focused research programme that delivers a new understanding of development and disease and the interventions that will make a difference.”
Six popular beliefs about colds: experts explain the facts
As we return to pre-lockdown levels of social mixing, colds are starting to become all too common. A TikTok video has gone viral involving putting garlic up your nose as a cold cure, just one in a long line of claimed treatments or cures. We asked two experts to examine some commonly held beliefs around colds. 1. Can you get a cold by getting cold? Colds become more common in winter. Like other upper respiratory tract infections (in the nose, throat and windpipe) they are normally caused by a virus. There might be a little truth in the idea that getting cold can give you a cold, because as the temperature changes this can alter the lining of our throat and windpipe, which can possibly make it easier for viruses to infect cells. However, the main reason we get more colds in winter is spending more time inside, closer to other people – the perfect environment to transmit viruses. 2. Does sticking garlic up your nose help? The TikTok trend involves putting cloves of garlic up your nose because it claims to act as a decongestant. Sticking something up your nose blocks the flow of mucus, so when it is removed, the flow starts and the mucus drips or even runs out of your nose. Mucus not only helps trap and remove pathogens including viruses, but also contains antibodies and can reduce how infectious and spreadable viruses are. So this is not a good idea. Garlic contains a range of compounds which might irritate the nose, and remember sticking anything up your nose isn’t a great idea. It could damage the lining and lead to bleeding or even get stuck. So it doesn’t really help and could be harmful. 3. Can herbal remedies prevent colds? Various herbal remedies claim to either prevent or speed up recovery from a cold. People often mention echinacea, a family of plants that grow in North America. Some trials have suggested a small preventative effect, but the evidence does not show statistically significant reductions in illness levels. Turmeric is also touted as a preventative medicine, but there is no robust evidence for its effectiveness either. 4. Can vitamin C help? Nobel prize-winning scientist Linus Pauling suggested that vitamin C in high doses could be an effective treatment for many viral infections. But a Cochrane review, a very robust system in which researchers assess evidence, found that vitamin C did not prevent colds, but may reduce their duration, in some people. As vitamin C supplements of around 200mg per day are considered low risk, some suggest this is a reasonable strategy to shorten the effects of a cold. 5. Does vitamin D prevent colds? Vitamin D has moved from being the sunshine vitamin associated with healthy bones, to being linked to reducing the risks around everything from heart disease and diabetes to viruses. This has included a lot of interest in vitamin D as a way of helping us fight off flu and more recently COVID-19. Laboratory experiments show that vitamin D is important in supporting immunity and this is critical in fighting off viruses. The problem may be that some people have inadequate vitamin D levels. Sunshine allows us to make our own vitamin D - but that happens less in winter. So it is likely that taking vitamin D supplements as advised by the UK government over winter is sensible so that you get enough, and this may help prevent you from getting a cold. 6. What about chicken soup? Chicken soup has been used through the ages to treat colds, and like honey it might have some benefits in managing symptoms. But it is unlikely to make a big impact on driving out the infection. The water in the soup will help with hydration, which is a often a problem when we have a cold. Like most hot drinks it can help to relieve painful sinuses. There are studies looking at the effect on our immune system cells, but the evidence from these is far from conclusive. Sadly, there are no miracle cures for the common cold. Some suggestions may be helpful, and are generally not harmful, such as getting enough vitamin C and D. But others are definitely not worth trying and could be risky, such as putting garlic up your nose. The best thing to do is get plenty of rest and drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.
