Where Do ‘Colds’ Come From? Through An Open Bedroom Window ?

[Bobbisox1]

I went to bed fine last night, I woke a few times sneezing now I have a full blown cold , sneezes , snotty , heavy eyes etc, did a lateral flow ( just in case) negative ,
Just pleased there’s more to ailments then Covid!
Normality at last :0)))

[Bobbisox1]

Oops, should be in CB

[Buenchico]

The so-called 'common cold' isn't actually a single disease. The symptoms referred to as 'having a cold' come primarily from four different coronaviruses which, just like Covid-19, are constantly mutating.

The coronaviruses that collectively lead to a 'common cold' are transmitted in exactly the same way as Covid-19 is, which is primarily through face-to-face (or, at least, close proximity) contact with an infected person. As the symptom take several days to develop, your open bedroom window last night will have had absolutely nothing to do with it.

[Bobbisox1]

Chris I can’t think of anyone I’ve been beside that has this common cold but thanks for the very sensible analogy

[Buenchico]

You could have caught your cold from (for example) the person who was standing next to you, selecting veg in a supermarket. If they'd only just caught the cold themselves, they might not have yet developed symptoms but already be infectious. Similarly, they might have got rid of the symptoms but still be infectious. They could, like some people with Covid-19, be totally asymptomatic but still able to spread the virus to others. So the fact that you've not knowingly been close to anyone with a runny nose, who was coughing and sneezing, doesn't mean that you've not been in contact with a carrier.

Get well soon!

[Bobbisox1]

Ah I’m okay really Chris ( thank you ) a bit sneezy and snotty haha

[Hopkirk]

Chris is mostly correct, but makes an error saying the common cold is caused by four coronaviruses.

In fact coronaviruses are one of the four viruses that cause it. The others are rhinoviruses, adenoviruses and enteroviruses.

[Buenchico]

I stand corrected!

(Thanks, Hoppy!)

;-)

[theprof]

Hopkirk, respiratory symptoms attributable to the common cold can be caused by 200+ viruses. The common cold is NOT caused by "one of four viruses" as you assert as there are numerous serotypes within each of the four virus groups you mention which make up the 200+ figure.

I'll leave it at that, but right now, we consider RSV to be the predominant cause of the common cold circulating in the UK. It's correctly known as hRSV, human respiratory syncytial virus, which has appeared around a month earlier than normal. It's highly transmissible and is easily contracted from human contact and surfaces to a greater extent than coronavirus serotypes.

[Hopkirk]

I too stand corrected.

(I shouldn't have trusted Wikipedia)

[tiggerblue10]

Not so little Tigs had a cold a few weeks ago. He'd just started back at school and the 2 weeks later had a sore throat, runny and blocked nose and a slight temp. Weirdly, I didn't catch it off him as I'm usually prone to colds.

[Bobbisox1]

Hi all, must have been a 48 hr thing, feel fit as a butchers dog today :0)

[Smowball]

Interesting explanation Chris x