Virus

It’s that time of year again, from the sniffles and sneezes to a sore throat and annoying cough, the common cold usually catches up with us at one point or another. The common cold is a viral infection in the upper respiratory tract, such as the nose. (Gwaltney and Hayden) The common cold is a very familiar infectious disease all around the world especially in the United States because it is contagious.

In order to catch a cold, the virus must first get into the nose where they can infect the nasal membranes and multiply in the nasal cells. (“How are common cold viruses transmitted?”) There are various ways in which a person can catch a cold. First is coming in contact with a person or an object that is contaminated; usually the virus transfers to your hands when coming in contact and then the virus on the hands is then transferred to the nose. Another way is when someone inhales the contaminated droplets produced by sneezing or coughing. There is no way to pinpoint exactly where the location of the cold is because there are hundreds of strains that are each different kinds of cold. Once one has caught one of the many cold viruses then they can become immune and never catch the same strain again.

Though a common cold does not have a cure, there are ways to prevent from spreading the virus. The first and foremost important thing to do is always wash your hands thoroughly and frequently. Also one should always cover their mouths when sneezing or coughing with a tissue. People should not eat, drink or use anything personal from someone who has a cold. “Also, stay away from people who are most vulnerable, including anyone who has asthma or another chronic lung disease, or at least try to limit close contact