The reason the "plague" is so frightening.

[Calderis he/him]

So we know that the Purelake plague is the common cold. To us this makes the term "plague" seem extreme. It seems to be a called a "plague" because of the fear it has created. I have a couple of ideas concerning diseases on Roshar that may be why the common cold has everyone so frightened. 

First, we know that the higher investiture on Roshar makes people generally more healthy. What does this mean for disease? From Kaladin's perspective we know that medical knowledge exists beyond surgery. There is the slave with the grinding cough in Tvlakv's wagon as an example.

I think that the higher investiture/health means that what we think of as minor diseases, the things that our bodies feel beat up by but fight off routinely, just don't exist on Roshar. Or maybe they do, but the vitality provided by a higher investiture environment means they don't suffer from the symptoms. 

Second, I think that viruses as we know them are foreign to Roshar. There is relatively little mammalian or avian life on Roshar. Removing these two animal groups removes much of the opportunity for zoonotic transmission and mutation of viruses. Without the constant mutation and transmission between species, I believe the heightened Rosharan immune system has effectively wiped out viral diseases. 

So finally, our friends from the 17th Shard arrive and bring with them the common cold. A viral infection that spreads and mutates quickly between humans, and due to its viral nature, Investiture cannot simply overcome the symptoms. So you have an outbreak of people becoming visibly sick, in a world where minor diseases are foreign.

I think under these circumstances, fear and some level of panic are justified.

I know there is a good deal of speculation here, but I don't think it's unreasonable. 

[The One Who Connects he/him]

4 minutes ago, Calderis said:

due to its viral nature, Investiture cannot simply overcome the symptoms.

Cough.. Wayne cough.. In all seriousness, I believe someone pointed out Wayne mentioning that his cold would come back after he stopped healing or something to that effect.

6 minutes ago, Calderis said:

So you have an outbreak of people becoming visibly sick, in a world where minor diseases are foreign.

I think under these circumstances, fear and some level of panic are justified.

It's absolutely this. To quote myself from an hour ago:

50 minutes ago, The One Who Connects said:

To add to what Oversleep said: People have been bedridden with the cold before on Earth. If 5-6 people all came down at once, you'd be worried regardless of the general health level, no?

[Calderis he/him]

Just now, The One Who Connects said:

Cough.. Wayne cough.. In all seriousness, I believe someone pointed out Wayne mentioning that his cold would come back after he stopped healing or something to that effect.

It's absolutely this. To quote myself from an hour ago:

Yeah. Part of the reason I made this thread is because I wanted to post all of this there, and decided against derailing that thread further.

As far as Wayne is concerned, that actually the basis for my reasoning. I'm sure a radiant holding Stormlight would overcome the symptoms too, but I don't think average Joe Rosharan is going to benefit to that extent. 

[Radiant_Jaeger he/him]

3 minutes ago, Calderis said:

Yeah. Part of the reason I made this thread is because I wanted to post all of this there, and decided against derailing that thread further.

lol it's goin off the rails on a crazy train..

Much like my brain also could you provide the WoB on that whole cold thing?

[The One Who Connects he/him]

7 minutes ago, Radiant_Jaeger said:

Much like my brain also could you provide the WoB on that whole cold thing?

It's there in the "Axies the Blighted"

12 minutes ago, Calderis said:

As far as Wayne is concerned, that actually the basis for my reasoning.

Yay, I remembered something useful

[Radiant_Jaeger he/him]

1 hour ago, The One Who Connects said:

It's there in the "Axies the Blighted"

Yay, I remembered something useful

Thanks!