Understanding and Preventing the Common Cold: What You Need to Know

Colds are caused by viruses, which are notoriously difficult to treat.
Despite massive efforts to find a cure, the best treatment is to avoid
infection in the first place.

Instructions

• 1

  Become an infectious-disease expert. Study the most common cold viruses, including rhinovirus, parvovirus and parainfluenza virus. Understanding exactly how these nasty creatures behave is the key to stopping them.

• 2

  Secure a massive research grant and refine the latest medications. Oseltamivir phosphate and Amantadine are two drugs that show promise in fighting cold and flu viruses. Currently, their side effects are significant and their benefits limited, but research may improve these drugs.

• 3

  Focus on the most common infection route of cold viruses-- through the nasal cells. The nose is designed to receive chemical compounds from outside the body, and the nasal cells are full of receptor sites to which a virus can adhere. Blocking these receptor sites, without interfering with other body functions, may be the key to preventing infection.