The Common Cold: Just How Common is it?

The term coronavirus refers to a large family of viruses. While COVID-19 is a strain of coronavirus, it may be interesting to know that the coronavirus family can also cause the common cold (WHO 2020).

As its name suggests, the common cold (or upper respiratory tract infection) is a highly prevalent viral infection that can be caused by over 200 types of viruses. It affects the nose, ears and throat (Healthy WA n.d.).

Most cold-causing viruses belong to either the coronavirus or rhinovirus families. As there are so many viruses that can cause a cold, it is possible to have one cold after another from unrelated strains (Healthdirect 2018).

At this stage, it is not considered possible to be immunised against the cold due to the number of viruses that can cause it (Simancas-Racines et al. 2017).

Prevalence of the Common Cold

The cold is considered the most common contagious disease in Australia, the most common reason for being absent from school or work, and the most common reason for seeing a general practitioner (Lung Foundation Australia n.d.).