The cold virus, unlike measles and influenza, has no vaccine because there are more than 200 different types.
Children get an average of 10 colds a year, while an adult may get as few as three. According to Parade Magazine, this is because adults have been exposed to more cold viruses in their lifetime.
As a result, adults have more antibodies built up in their system, Dr. Mike Strange, medical director for University Health Services, said. This does not mean college students are less likely to catch colds. Strange said this time of year is when most students get viral infections because of their close proximity to one another.
“In the warm weather, people disperse,” he said.
The winter weather forces many people indoors, creating close contact that can increase the spread of germs. This time of year, about 25 percent to 35 percent of the cases seen at University Health Services are upper respiratory infections like bronchitis, flu and colds, Strange said.
“Students are coming back from break from all corners of the globe and bringing all kinds of things back,” he said.
The best way to avoid a cold is to wash your hands as often as possible, keep hands away from your mouth and nose, and dispose of tissues as soon as you have used them, according to an article by Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld.
Strange suggests getting plenty of rest and eating right. If you do find yourself under the weather, there are many remedies to consider.
“I sleep a lot and take a lot of vitamin C,” said James Foster, management information systems sophomore.
Vitamin C has been debated as a cold remedy. Strange said large doses of vitamin C may help, but the side effects of such large doses may be more damaging than the cold itself.
Another remedy, chicken soup, might actually have healing qualities. A recent study has shown chicken soup contains cytokines, which are antiviral chemicals that can neutralize cold viruses.
Rosenfeld and Strange agree that over-the-counter cold and symptomatic drugs are the best remedies to overcome a cold.
Some new drugs are being reviewed by the Federal Drug Administration that may further help stop, or at least shorten, colds.
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