JEFF CAPLAN'S MY MINUTE OF NEWS
Jeff Caplan’s Minute of News: Is a man-cold worse than a mom-cold?
Nov 7, 2024, 7:00 PM
The availability of children's painkillers first started dropping in June. After some recovery in early fall, it started to dip again in November, according to market research firm Nielsen IQ, which tracks point of sale data from retailers. (Shutterstock via DN)
(Shutterstock via DN)
Editor’s note: This is an editorial piece. An editorial, like a news article, is based on fact but also shares opinions. The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and are not associated with our newsroom.
SALT LAKE CITY — One of my co-workers caught a cold last week. As her voice briefly became frail, she persevered and powered through it — didn’t miss a minute of work. Then I got a cold. And I quickly texted my boss “Not coming in tomorrow. Sick.”
The difference is that I had a man-cold. A sickening rendezvous of mucus and my nostrils that left me gasping for air, crying for mercy and praying for my very soul. I felt so rundown that I could barely focus.
It was so unnerving that my stomach got upset and I was crying for Mama.
Women, stop rolling your eyes. I know, I’ve seen the research that a man-cold is baloney.
But, some studies show a man-cold can be worse than a mom-cold. The National Institute of Infectious Disease says there’s strong evidence that men have weaker immune systems.
Women — strong like bulls. Men — weak and pathetic in the face of illness. No joke. At the beginning of the pandemic, far more men ended up in the hospital.
When a woman gets sick, Johns Hopkins Medical School says their immune system pushes the pedal to the floor and releases more inflammatory proteins that prompt healing. In men, the immune system acts the same way I do when I’m watching the game and my wife asks me to take out the garbage.
“In a minute, honey.”
But please note, women typically report more severe symptoms when they get a cold. This is because their bodies are fighting harder against the infection. The fever, the congestion, being overtired. All are because women are fighting the good fight against the virus while men are whining, “I don’t feel good.”
This is why the Urban Dictionary defines a man-flu as “more painful than childbirth.”
You can roll your eyes now.
Jeff Caplan is the host of Jeff Caplan’s Afternoon News on KSL NewsRadio. Follow him on Facebook and X.
