If last Sunday was any indication, the temperatures in Beijing are about to drop, and that means many of us, parents and children alike, might come down with sickness ranging from a minor nuisance to something outright debilitating. But what exactly is it about the falling temperature which causes an uptick in illnesses? Let’s examine the science behind why we get sick when the weather changes.

Right off the bat, we can dispel one myth that effectively has people preemptively reaching for the tissue box when the leaves begin to change: the notion that cold weather, in and of itself, has the power to make us sick.

According to Internal Medicine Specialist, Kittu Jindal Garg, M.D., “A lot of the viruses that cause the common cold are shown to cause outbreaks more frequently in the early to late spring and early to late fall.” However, he goes on to explain that, “really there’s still no evidence to show that it’s the cold weather itself that’s making us sick.”

Rather, it’s a bunch of complementary forces that flourish during cold weather. But before we go into those, we can safely say that if you’re an otherwise healthy person, merely standing out in the cold will emphatically not make you sick.

Having said that, there are a number of complications cold weather promotes, which, when taken together, create a sort of perfect storm, and wind up landing people in bed with an achey body and runny nose.

To begin with, the two viruses which most often cause the common cold, rhinoviruses and coronaviruses, do in fact thrive in weather that’s cool. So as summer gives way to fall, and the city is enveloped in an autumnal chill, the common cold makes itself at home in tiny airborne droplets called aerosols, which people then inhale. Once inside your nasal passages, the virus goes about the business of replicating all throughout your upper respiratory tract.

Similarly, influenza viruses, or those that cause the common flu, “may also survive and spread more easily in cold and dry air,” says Jamie Eske at Medical News Today. In fact, Eske cites one study in the Journal of Virology which found that, in a study on guinea pig populations, “the ideal temperature for the influenza virus to spread is 5 degrees Celsius, or 41 degrees Fahrenheit.” For reference, at the time of writing, Beijing was 49 degrees Fahrenheit with 30 percent humidity.

In addition to happy little virus particles finding ideal conditions in which to exist, it’s also known that “cold, dry air cuts down on the healthy mucus that’s supposed to coat areas of your respiratory system, leaving airways more susceptible to unpleasant microbial visitors.” This also accounts for why you get a runny nose. That is, the body attempts to overcompensate for a lack of mucus in the nasal passages, and thus you, or your child, become a drippy, unhappy mess.

Aside from the blossoming populations of viruses in cooler weather, the drop in temperature can also have an effect on the immune system in a variety of ways. For instance, a lack of sunlight means that people are getting reduced amounts of Vitamin D, which according to some research is essential to maintaining a healthy immune system. What’s more, during particularly harsh winter months, people have a tendency to spend more time indoors and, of course, with increased close contact comes an increased chance of spreading diseases. If that wasn’t bad enough, to prevent against heat loss, the respiratory tract constricts when breathing in cold and dry air which in turn makes it more difficult for white blood cells to reach the mucous membranes and consequently lessens the body’s ability to fight off germs.

So what can be done about it?!?!?!

Well, unfortunately there’s no hidden secret or grand plan to stave off an illness. Just a bunch of well-known preventative measures we can take to hopefully stay happy and healthy throughout the coziness of fall and winter. These include getting plenty of sleep, staying hydrated (with that most common of Chinese medicines, hot water), avoiding sick people, and washing hands regularly (cold viruses can live on the skin for up to two hours). What’s more, if the darkness overtakes you and you can’t remember the last time you saw the sun, vitamin D can be replenished in the body with supplements or foods such as fish, mushrooms, and eggs.

So while it isn’t the weather that’s making you sick, per se, it is creating an environment that many things which make you sick find particularly suitable for their own well-being, at the expense of yours.

Photos: Kidnurse.org, Pixabay

Beijing continues to be battered by gale-force winds, which since Sunday have uprooted trees, knocked down walls, and caused four fatalities across the city, as reported by The Paper.

Outer areas of the city including Tongzhou, Yanqing, Changping, Huairou, and Shunyi were hit with winds reaching 7 to 8 on the Beaufort scale (32-46mph). Other areas reported winds as high as 10 (55-63mph).

A tree uprooted from its base by yesterday’s gale-force winds

The four deaths occurred as the result of two separate incidents on Sunday. Three people were killed near Dongzhimen Bridge in downtown Beijing after being struck by an uprooted tree. Two of those struck died at the scene, while the third succumbed to their injuries while being treated in hospital.

In the second incident, a waimai driver died after being struck by a tree at Baizhifang Xijie in Xicheng District. The man was later confirmed to have been working for the food delivery platform Meituan.

The strong winds also caused havoc to Beijing transport, grounding 51 outbound flights at Beijing Capital International Airport and delaying the arrival of at least two trains.

Members of the public are advised to stay indoors when possible

All kindergartens and middle schools across the city have suspended outdoor activities, including flag-raising and morning exercises, as per a warning announced by the Beijing Municipal Education Commission on Weibo this morning.

The strong winds aren’t forecasted to abate until late this evening, according to the weather broadcasting website Weather China.

Members of the public are advised to keep outdoor activities to a minimum and to avoid walking underneath hanging signs, large trees, and temporary construction or scaffolding. People are also advised to avoid walking down narrow alleyways in the event that you need to evade falling objects. Additionally, forest fires warnings remain in place in Beijing and outlying areas, with winds and dry weather exacerbating the risk of fires.

Beijing will also see temperatures rise in the wake of the windy weather, with highs of 35 degrees Celcius predicted from Wednesday through to Saturday.

Photos: IC via China Daily,163.com, Weather China

Municipal authorities are warning residents to be wary of flooding as a severe convection thunderstorm is expected to strike Beijing today.

A severe thunderstorm forecast for Thursday will last all day long. Rainfall accumulation is forecast to hit up to 80 millimeters in the city with as much as 50 millimeters expected to fall in one hour alone during peak precipitation. Besides lightning, the storm will bring sporadic strong winds and hail.

Described as being long in duration and wide in area, the “worst storm in six years” is expected to break local weather records.

The rain warning for the Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei areas have begun yesterday evening with scattered showers and finally subside by Saturday when heavy rains will taper off, continuing in scattered light showers right up until Sunday.

The local weather department is warning residents to be on alert for flash floods, landslides, mudslides, and small river floods. Along the same lines, people are specifically warned to stay away from the city’s mountainous areas, which have already experienced flood conditions this past week.

Info circulating on Chinese social media describes the oncoming storm as having “category 10 winds” and being a “super torrential downpour.” However, chief forecaster for the national weather department Fang Chong debunks these rumors, saying that only category 6-8 winds are expected instead of “gale winds” and that rainfall will be heavy but not massive.

Severe weather has struck Beijing before with fatal results. Seventy-seven people died in flash floods when heavy rains hit the city on July 21, 2012.

READ: One Year Later: Safety Tips for Flash Floods

All the same, the term “flooding” isn’t one that has been commonly cited in the Chinese media. While a yellow rainstorm alert had been rescinded, we can only hope that the 2013 improvements made to Beijing’s flood control system would hold out. And yet, things don’t look good when flooding the very next year forced drivers to flee 15 vehicles in the suburb of Yanjiao.

We urge everyone to stay safe, and follow these handy tips:

• Avoid large puddles or other flooded areas. This seems like common sense, but too many people have attempted to cross areas of water on foot, bicycle, or car, only to discover the water was deeper than expected.
• Do not hesitate to leave a vehicle if in doubt.
• If water levels prevent the opening of a vehicle door, open the window and try to escape through it. If water levels are above the windows, the glass may need to be broken using the headrest to allow the car to flood – equalizing the water pressure inside and outside will likely assist escape.

Thursday’s thunderstorm is caused by a low-pressure area colliding with a humid jet stream, causing rising air to release moisture and form storm clouds. Due to its updrafts and downdrafts, convection thunderstorms pose a danger to air traffic, signifying that delays will be likely at Beijing Capital International Airport.

On the bright side of things, the storm will bring cooler temperatures to heat-stricken Beijing where nighttime lows will reach 19 degrees Celsius.

Images: BBC, BJ News

This post originally appeared on our sister site, the Beijinger. More stories from this author here.
Twitter: @Sinopath

Yesterday, the government issued a blue weather warning, denoting that there would be “localized and sudden instances of torrential rain,” which we’re only just seeing the full effects of and led to the warning being upgraded to orange at midday today, warning of flooding around the city. The heavy downpours are forecast to continue until tomorrow and have so far caused the cancelation of 50 flights and the delay of another 100.

This rain can’t help but remind us of that fateful day on July 21, 2012, when 79 people died during one particularly extraordinary rainstorm. It also serves as a reminder to be safe, no matter how much fun you’re having getting absolutely soaked.

Thanks to groundbreaking waterproof technology, you can now watch the whole mess live or catch some highlights from Weibo below:

Yesterday, the storm caused part of the Juyongguan Great Wall in Changping to collapse, leading to blockage of the highway below.

Gaode has released a handy interactive map (see screenshot above) showing the worst affected areas.

As I speak to my friend on Skype back in Montreal, she tells me it hasn’t snowed there for over a month. I respond, proudly, that the snow has stayed on the ground here in Beijing for exactly four days and counting. Hurray!

With the exception of one winter away to birth my son, this is my seventh winter in Beijing and it marks the first time I have seen snow remain on the ground for more than one day. I love to wake to the bright reflection of light off of white coming through the windows. It brings a freshness to the normally grey Beijing winter and combats those early winter blues—at least for me.

The kids are also thrilled. Ever since Frozen’s popularization of the melodic question “Do you wanna build a snowman?” my daughter has been waiting for the snow with baited (princess-obsessed) breath. Getting to actually build one in Beijing and then gleefully sing the song (in an appropriate context) on a higher-than-normal-frequency repeat for four days has been her idea of pure bliss.

Thankfully, despite the annoying loop in my head, I’m not yet at the point of wishing the snow would melt to silence the song. I’m charmed by the white. It warms my heart, even at -10.
 

Photos: Ember Swift

Food and flags seem a good combination for an afternoon of fun and connection with your children. If you cannot find your country’s flag below, make it up!

NATIONAL FLAGS MADE FROM EACH COUNTRY’S TRADITIONAL FOODS
As part of a promotion for the Sydney International Food Festival, the advertising agency WHYBIN\TBWA designed 18 national flags using foods each country is commonly associated with and that would also match the colors of the flag.

Above: India
curry chicken, rice, cheera thoran and papadum wafer

Brazil
banana leaf, limes, pineapple and passion fruit

China
dragon fruit and star fruit

United States
hot dogs, ketchup and mustard

Greece
olives and feta cheese

Japan
tuna and rice

Lebanon
tomatoes, pita bread and parsley

Vietnam
rambutan, lychee and starfruit

Australia
meat pie and sauce

South Korea
kimbap and sauces

France
blue cheese, brie cheese and grapes

United Kingdom
scone, cream and jams

Turkey
Turkish Delight

Spain
chorizo and rice

Indonesia
spicy curries and rice

Thailand
sweet chilli sauce, shredded coconut and blue swimmer crab

Switzerland
charcuteries and swiss cheese

Credits
Client: Sydney International Food Festival
Advertising Agency: WHYBIN\TBWA, Sydney, Australia
Executive Creative Director: Garry Horner
Creative Director: Matt Kemsley
Art Director: Miles Jeffreys
Copywriter: Tammy Keegan
Photographer: Natalie Boog
Retoucher: Nick Mueller
Food Stylist: Trish Heagerty

This post first appeared on Lyliane Stewart’s site parentingeastwest.com on February 24, 2014.

Lyliane Stewart is a teacher, a positive discipline parent educator and a mother of two young adults. Originally from Switzerland, she lives with her husband in Beijing where she has been very active with the school community over the years.  Her personal experience of living internationally in a cross-cultural family has given her a good understanding of the various challenges encountered by multi-cultural, multi-lingual expatriate families. Passionate about psychology and education, she founded Parenting East West to offer support to families around the world. Lyliane believes that by gaining a better understanding of ourselves, and of human relationships in general, we become better equipped for parenting.  She offers weekly interactive parenting classes through which she introduces positive parenting tools and strategies.

The Mums2B group she started meets in Sanlitun weekly and welcomes new expectant parents.To get in touch, send a message to: parentingeastwest@gmail.com

Hope you thought to take a brolly with you when you left for work this morning: Beijing City Government have issued a storm warning by text informing citizens that they can expect a downpour to be on us anytime through this afternoon into tonight.

These informative mass textings are usually issued when authorities are pretty confident of imminent danger to citizens especially in light of the deadly 2012 storm.

Of course, Beijing is massive and the storm might pass your hood by, but if the skies bruise quickly and the sweetly chirping birds fall silent where you are, it might be best to consider hauling it along to the subway station or out for a taxi before the rain lands.

And minus the death part, spend some time reading why rain in Beijing is a good thing.

This post first appeared on thebeijinger.com on Jul 1, 2014.

Photos courtesy of thebeijinger.com

The weather is getting warmer and warmer in Beijing and while it’s nice to go out in summer dresses and t-shirts, the heat can be annoying and even dangerous, especially for children and elderly. To prevent the risk of dehydration and heat illness always remember to take these simple precautions:

Drink that H2O
It may sound banal, but it’s important to drink a lot of water during summer in order to compensate for the loss of water due to sweating. Avoid drinking coffee and alcohol as they promote dehydration.

Keep it light
Wear comfortable and thin clothes. Choose light colors, especially white, as light colors absorb less heat than darker colors and can keep you cooler.

Take another shower
Showering is refreshing and helps to cool down the temperature of your body. If you are having problems falling asleep because of the heat, try to take a cool shower before going to bed.

Go for the fruit bowl
Avoid eating heavy food, fried food, and protein-rich meals as these take longer to digest and will keep your body temperature higher. Instead, try eating sandwiches, salads, lots of fruits and vegetables. Eating fruits will not only refresh you, but also give you a lot of nutrients and water content.

Avoid the sun
Especially between 12pm and 4pm, when the day is at his hottest, avoid spending too much time in the sun. If you are outside, try to walk in the shade or rest at regular intervals. If there’s not much shade to be found, try going a bit more local and carrying an umbrella or parasol to shield yourself from the sun’s direct rays.

Wear sunscreen and sunglasses
Always remember to protect your skin and eyes by putting sunscreen on your skin and wearing sunglasses. Even if it’s a cloudy (or smoggy) day, your skin can be damaged by the sun’s UV rays, and damage can occur even if you don’t get burned. Remember to reapply sunscreen frequently (every two hours) and liberally. When the family goes out for a day outside, it’s also a good idea to have your children (and even yourself) wear a hat.

This post first appeared on May 24, 2013.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Source: Tips to combat summer heat and Humidity

For the second year in a row in Beijing, an index measuring pollution produced by the ignition of fireworks will be added to the daily meteological forecast to state whether citizens are legally allowed to set off these annual holiday traditions, a policy that effectively clamps down on the use of fireworks in Beijing.

The regions of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province will coordinate their efforts by simultaneously broadcasting daily reports twice a day until February 14 while other efforts will be taking place nationwide. This "firework index" will be separated into four category levels by which the highest classification will indicate fireworks are not permitted to be set off whatsoever.

Also working to reduce the use of fireworks is the Department of Culture for Beijing. The department has been suggesting citizens take a proactive role in protecting the environment, and urge city residents to not to set off fireworks nor to burn paper offerings, actions that the Ministry of Environmental Protection confirms as contributing to pollution and PM 2.5 emissions.

As socially-conscious as these efforts are, these protocols fly in the face of age-old tradition. Some city residents are adamant that firecrackers are integral towards the holiday spirit of Spring Festival festivities, and that it is impossible to break a tradition that is passed down from one’s ancestors. It would appear this "War on Chinese Christmas" is a violation upon Chinese culture itself.

Lest we forget, the Chinese New Year tradition of making loud noises and coloring everything a festive hue of red originates from fear. As the myth goes, a monster called the "Nian" – the same name as the Chinese word for year – was terrorizing the populace with its evil, non–Chinese ways. When a brave man who knew how to party advised the use of loud noises and bright, festive colors to drive away this evil, and a tradition was born. Thereafter, it has become a common belief that setting off fireworks at Chinese New Year will ensure good fortune for the upcoming year.

 Read more here.

This post first appeared in theBeijinger on January 27, 2014.

Photo courtesy of anthony wang (flickr)