Science AMA Series: We are Angie LeRoy and Dr. Christopher Fagundes, from Rice University in Houston, TX, we research the connections between loneliness and the common cold, AMA!

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Hi Reddit!

We are scientists from Rice University, and we recently published a study that found that people who are lonely may experience feeling worse when they are sick with the common cold. Previous research has investigated how social factors like loneliness can impact physical health, but never in the context of a short-lived acute illness that we all experience, the common cold. Participants filled out loneliness questionnaires and then were exposed to the common cold virus. Afterward, they were monitored for infection and their perception of their symptoms was recorded during a 5 day period in which they were quarantined in a hotel room. Interestingly, those who were lonely were no more likely to actually get infected with the common cold, but out of those who got infected, those who were lonely perceived their symptoms to be worse than those who were less lonely. We’d love to hear your thoughts and questions about our findings!

We will be back at 1 pm ET to answer your questions, ask us anything!

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">Science AMA Series: We are Angie LeRoy and Dr. Christopher Fagundes, from Rice University in Houston, TX, we research the connections between loneliness and the common cold, AMA!