6 Myths About the Common Cold Virus

Cold infections are common during the winter. When the temperatures begin to drop, you may experience symptoms such as a runny nose, congestion, headache and fatigue. With that said, you shouldn't believe everything you read about the common cold virus. There are several cold virus myths that you should ignore.

#1) All Cold Viruses Are the Same

Not all cold viruses are the same. Like with other viruses, there are many different strains of the common cold virus. The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that over 200 cold viruses cause symptoms.

#2) Infections Only Occur During the Winter

While they are most common during the winter, cold infections can occur during any time of the year. Many people succumb to cold infections during the spring and summer months, for instance. Cold infections are simply more common during the winter because people spend more time indoors. As a result, the risk of transmission is higher during the winter as opposed to the spring and summer.

#3) Vaccines Can Protect Against Infections

There's no vaccine available for the common cold virus. There are vaccines for the flu virus, and there are vaccines for the coronavirus. Unfortunately, there's no vaccine for the common cold virus. This is due to the fact that there are hundreds of different strains of the common cold virus, and many of the strains mutate and change regularly.

#4) Infections Always Cause Symptoms

Another common myth is that cold infections always cause symptoms. Many people will, in fact, experience symptoms when infected with the common cold virus. Others, though, will not. It's estimated that over half of all cold infections are asymptomatic, meaning they don't have noticeable symptoms.

#5) Same as Flu Infections

Cold infections are different from flu infections. They are both viral infections that, like all viral infections, are caused by a virus. Cold infections, though, are caused by a cold virus, whereas flu infections are caused by a flu (influenza) virus.

#6) Only Contagious During the First Few Days

Finally, some people believe that they are only contagious during the first few days of a cold infection. The truth is that transmission can occur for many more days. Most people are contagious for about two weeks. Even after the symptoms have disappeared, you may still be able to spread the cold virus to others.