All About Viruses and Bacteria
What is a Cold
Rhinovirus
The common cold is a virul respirtory illness that can cause you to become sick for a few days. A cold is not a seriuos infection in most cases. The common cold is acually not just one virus but 200 diffrent viruses that all vary in some small way. The most common cold virus is called rhinovirus, andi it causes 10% to 40% of infections. The virus can enter your body through your eyes, nose, or mouth. If you touch something or someone who has the cold virus on then and then you touch your eyes, nose, or mouth, you will become infected. It is a common myth that being wet out in the cold weather can cause you to get the cold. If you do get the cold after being outside wet it is either by cowincidence or being out side in the cold weakened your immune system. You are more likely to get a cold though if you are fatigued often, have emotional distress, or allergies that affect your nose or throat. You can also catch a cold by breathing in where someone just coughed or snezzed. You breath in droplets that contain the sickness. It starts when a cold virus attaches to the inside of your nose. Your body sends white blood cells to fight it, but if it is a virus that is causing the cold is one that your body has antibodies for. If your body can not fight off the cold imediatly it starts to affect your body. It will first cause your nose to become inflamed and make more mucus. Your throat may become sore and you become tired because your body is using its energy to fight the cold. Although a cold may just be mild colds are responsible for over 22 million missed days of work and school. The CDC estimates that the U.S suffers form 2 billion cold annually.
