Common Cold
Definition
The common cold is an infectious disease of the upper respiratory system caused by a virus. It is one of the most common illnesses in humans and is usually characterized by sneezing, sore throat, runny nose, and coughing. It is usually mild and self-limiting, but can cause complications in certain individuals.
History
The common cold has been around since ancient times. The first known account of the disease dates back to Hippocrates in the 5th century BC. Over the years, the common cold has been known by many different names, including “catarrh,” “coryza,” and “cold.”
In the 19th century, the common cold began to be studied more closely. In 1875, German physician Carl Flügger discovered the first virus known to cause the common cold. He identified the virus as the adenovirus, which is still one of the most common causes of the disease.
In the early 20th century, researchers began to investigate other viruses that could cause the common cold, such as rhinoviruses and coronaviruses. By the mid-20th century, research had identified more than 200 different viruses that can cause the common cold.
Although the common cold is the most frequently reported illness in humans, there is still no cure or vaccine for it. Treatment usually involves relieving the symptoms with over-the-counter medications and rest.
References
Flügger, C. (1875). Ueber einen neuen Erreger der Herpes-Krankheit des Menschen. Centralblatt für Bakteriologie, Parasitenkunde, und Infektionskrankheiten, 2(11), 161–164.
Hippocrates. (1945). The Genuine Works of Hippocrates. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Huang, C. Y., & Akhtar, S. (2016). Common cold. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441862/
Kumar, P., & Abbas, A. K., & Aster, J. (2017). Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease. Philadelphia: Elsevier.
Monto, A. S. (2014). Common cold. In Clinical Infectious Diseases. https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/59/suppl_2/S86/303916