What is a cold?

According to the CDC: People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

Many of these symptoms overlap with the common cold. If you have ANY of the symptoms on the list, you should isolate yourself from other people, stay home from school, work, or social events, and avoid housemates as much as possible for at least 10 days. Talk to your doctor about how long you and other members of your household should isolate, and whether you should be tested.

Many people confuse the common cold with the flu. However, the two illnesses are caused by different viruses. In the case of colds, over 250 viruses can be to blame. With the flu, the influenza virus is the specific culprit. Both cold and flu may cause cough and varying degrees of chest congestion. A cold usually presents with milder, gradual onset symptoms of congestion, sore throat, and only mild headaches and body aches. A cold does not usually cause a fever. Flu, on the other hand, gives people more serious body aches, headache, weakness, and fever, and it often comes on quickly, over a matter of hours from feeling fine to feeling terrible!

The common cold is highly contagious. That means it’s easily spread between people. In order to catch a cold, you need to come into contact with the virus. This can happen either by direct contact with infected droplets on contaminated surfaces or by inhaling the virus after someone sneezes or coughs. Most frequently, transmission happens when someone who has a cold blows their nose or touches their nose and then touches someone or something else. A healthy individual who then makes direct contact with droplets can become infected, usually by touching their eyes, nose or mouth.

As a rule of thumb, those with the common cold can be contagious anywhere from one to two days before their symptoms begin up until time that their symptoms have disappeared. In other words, patients can be contagious right throughout the time they feel ill, and often before, as well. That said, a patient will generally be more contagious towards the start of their illness, before their immune system has had time to fight the virus. In general, the common cold is typically most contagious during the initial two to three days of illness. Given this, it is wise for a person who has just come down with a cold to limit their contact with others, so as not to infect them. Since many symptoms overlap with COVID-19, it is sometimes impossible to tell if a person has COVID-19 or “just a cold”. You may need to isolate for 10 days or more after your symptoms start to avoid the risk of spreading COVID-19.

Some people, it seems, get colds all the time. The common cold also becomes more prevalent at certain times of the year. In general, there are a few risk factors that may increase the chances of coming down with a common cold. These include:

• Time of the year. People generally come down with the common cold during the fall, winter, or during the rainy season, in warmer climates. This is not because the virus “emerges” in cooler weather, but rather because people tend to stay indoors when the weather outside is cold and rainy, making the virus more easily spread, as people are in close contact with each other for extended periods.
• Age. Babies and young children are more likely to develop the common cold than adults. This is because their immune systems are not fully developed.
• Underlying medical conditions or weakened immune systems. Those whose immune systems are weakened are more likely to develop the common cold. Fatigue or emotional distress may also increase someone’s chances of catching a cold, as these can temporarily affect the immune system.

Many people have read the advice to take zinc, or a combination of zinc and vitamin C when they catch a cold. However, the evidence for whether zinc really does help shorten the duration of colds are mixed and generally not very conclusive. Some studies, for example, show that zinc nasal sprays can help reduce how long your cold lasts and make your symptoms less severe. The theory behind this is that zinc sprays may coat the cold virus and prevent it from attaching to cells in your nose, where they enter your body. However, other studies show that zinc doesn’t meaningfully lessen symptoms or the duration of a cold, but it does have a real risk of side effects, like painful burning in the nose! Because it's not clear if it works, and the risk of a loss of smell, many experts recommend that you avoid treatments like zinc nasal sprays completely.

Many people recommend taking vitamin C to reduce the number of days you feel ill when you have a cold. In general, having a diet high in vitamin C is good, and it is always wise to consume a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables which are rich in this vitamin. However, recent studies of whether taking vitamin C once you have a cold can help shorten the time you are ill are generally inconclusive. However, some studies did suggest that symptoms could be slightly shortened for people taking the vitamin.

Over 250 viruses can cause the common cold. One of the most common viruses is the rhinovirus. Other viruses that commonly cause colds include: coronavirus, adenovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, and parainfluenza virus. Because so many different viruses can cause the common cold, and because new cold viruses constantly develop, the body never builds up immunity or resistance against all of them. That’s why colds can happen multiple times a year, and why children are particularly susceptible.

No. Antibiotics should never be taken to treat the common cold. They will not help a cold get better any faster, and they can make you sick! Antibiotics are effective only against illnesses caused by bacteria. Colds are caused by viruses, hence antibiotics will have no effect on them. It’s never a good idea to take antibiotics when you don’t really need to. Antibiotics can sometimes cause allergic reactions, or disturb the balance of your gut flora, leading to upset stomachs and diarrhea. And using antibiotics when they are not necessary has led to the growth of several strains of common bacteria that have become resistant to certain antibiotics. This is called “drug resistance” and is a big problem in medicine today.

In general, the common cold is not severe in adults and can be managed without the help of a doctor. Stay rested, get enough fluids and manage symptoms with over-the-counter medications and you should feel much better in just a few days. However, if more severe symptoms develop, such as chills, high fever, bad headaches, neck stiffness, vomiting, abdominal pain, wheezing or difficulty breathing, chest pain, confusion, or you don’t see any improvement in your symptoms after 10 days, you should certainly see a doctor. Any baby age 3 months or younger with a fever needs to see a doctor. If a child older than 3 months has more than mild symptoms, it’s time to talk to the doctor. Babylon members can see a doctor 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The most important way to avoid catching cold is to avoid coming into contact with infected people. If you see someone sneezing or coughing, try to keep your distance. Do not shake hands and try to avoid touching objects that they have touched. That said, many times people catch colds without knowing who they caught it from. This happens because the virus can hang around in the air or on surfaces for some time. General measures for preventing the common cold include the following:

• Wash your hands frequently and well during cold and flu season. This easy process destroys viruses acquired from touching contaminated surfaces. In between washing your hands, you can also use alcohol-based hand sanitizers, containing at least 70% alcohol.
• Disinfect frequently touched surfaces or personal objects with a product that is effective against flu and cold-causing viruses (and safe for the type of surface).
• Never share personal belongings such as towels, handkerchiefs, or tissues.

If you have a cough and/or fever, or other symptoms that might be COVID-19, you should stay home for 10 days after the start of symptoms. You should not go around others if you are coughing. Talk to your doctor or your local health department about how long to isolate and whether you should be tested. When you return to work or school, still practice good hand washing, keep 6 feet distance from others, and wear your mask. If you don’t feel well enough it is better to stay home. Rest also helps your immune system to work better, meaning you might recover faster if you take some time off.

Pregnant women should talk to your pharmacist, midwife or doctor about what medicines are safe for you and your developing baby. Avoid taking medicine if you are pregnant or breastfeeding without talking to your health care team. Expecting moms shouldn’t assume that what they have is simply the common cold. If you experience fever and muscle aches, or if symptoms don't lessen within about 10 days, see your doctor to see if it's an illness that requires special treatment.

While a runny nose does often happen when you get a cold, a runny nose by itself doesn’t necessarily mean you have a cold. A runny nose could be from allergies or another illness. Multiple symptoms usually occur when you have a cold. Sore throat, fever, muscle aches, headaches will usually accompany runny nose. Consult your doctor if your symptoms continue longer than two weeks or get worse.

Wearing a mask can help prevent the spread of the cold virus, as wearing a mask reduces the chance of saliva droplets getting into your body. These droplets are spread when someone with the virus sneezes or coughs.

A cold is not considered serious, but it can affect your daily life. The symptoms of a cold can make you miserable but they are not life threatening. Like any virus, getting plenty of rest and fluids can speed up your recovery time.

While there is no cure for the common cold, getting plenty of rest and drinking plenty of fluids can help minimize the length of a common cold. Taking over-the-counter pain relievers can help with headaches, fevers, muscle soreness and common aches and pains. Some other treatments to try are nasal sprays and cough syrups or lozenges. These are not recommended for children under six and you should ask your doctor before trying them for yourself. You could also have a bacterial infection and may need antibiotics for this. Some home remedies could help to ease the symptoms of the common cold like honey, humidifiers or vaporizers. Eating soups like chicken noodle can help to loosen up your congestion. Home remedies are not a proven cure. Consult your doctor if you do not improve in seven to 10 days.