Mortality, Flu & Cold Season=Lent

Maybe we are all doing penitence for our many sins. Maybe getting a cold or the flu helps us focus on our mortality. Can a cold be a sacrament (an outward and tangible sign of an inward and spiritual grace)? Isn't it convenient for us that cold and flu season coincides with Lent? At the very least, thanksgivings for antibiotics and neti-pots.