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The common cold: fact and fiction

February 20, 1996
Web posted at: 10:00 a.m. EST

From Correspondent Andrew Holtz

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- Scientists tracking the sources of sneezes and sniffles say prevention of the common cold is possible, even if a cure isn't on the horizon.

But there are some facts about the ailment that may be surprising -- and some commonly held beliefs that don't hold water.

Remember how your mother always said, "Don't go outside without your coat on or you'll catch a cold?" Well, actually, according to researchers, you might freeze to death, but without a coat on, you're no more likely to catch a cold.

Colds, says Dr. Bennett Lorber of Temple University Hospital, are not caused by the cold weather or dampness.

"Colds are infections that are caused by viruses," Lorber says. (153K AIFF sound or 153K WAV sound)

And about "the cold season" -- Lorber says the cold is most common in the fall and spring.

It's flu cases that jump in the winter. But while flu shots work, there is no effective vaccine against the viruses that cause most colds because they come in too many varieties. The best defense is a "hands-off" approach.

how virus spreads

"What happens is an individual who has a cold touches their nose and gets the virus on their hand," says Lorber. "They then make hand-to-hand contact with another individual."

And the virus spreads from one infected person to the next non-infected person, making election season -- with all its glad-handing -- a particularly good time for viruses.

The experts advise: Don't shake hands with someone who has a cold and wash your hands often to keep form spreading or catching the viruses. Cold viruses rarely jump through the air.

And there's not much virus in saliva -- even lingering kisses rarely spread colds.



kiss

"So if somebody has a cold and you want to avoid it, you're better off kissing them than shaking their hand,"

-- Dr. Bennett Lorber
(60K AIFF sound or 60K WAV sound)


But what about that elegant embroidered handkerchief? A bad idea, the cold scientists say. It's a perfect spot for collecting and concentrating viruses. Disposable tissues are cleaner -- as long as you don't reuse them.

As for treatments, researchers say vitamin C fails scientific tests, and over-the-counter cold remedies merely mask symptoms.

But someday, medicines that block the viral attack -- or alter our immune response -- may truly help bring sneezers and snifflers in from the cold.



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