Most people who think they have the flu, don’t. And some people who think they have a cold, really have the flu. So what is the difference between a cold and the flu? And does it matter? A cold is a mild illness that resolves without treatment. It is a combination of some or all of the following: sneezing, a runny and then blocked nose, a sore or scratchy throat, cough, low-grade fever, headache and malaise. Doctors often refer to a cold as an upper respiratory tract infection or URTI (pronounced er-tee ). They are very common – on average, you can expect three per year. There are at least 200 different viral subtypes that cause colds – the commonest by far are rhinoviruses which are responsible for at least 40%; others include coronaviruses , respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), metapneumovirus and parainfluenza viruses. Following a cold, the small airways in the lungs become “hyper-reactive”. This can trigger an a...
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