There's No Vaccine for the Common Cold-Yet. This Scientist Is Getting Closer to Changing That.

"Here's what I have to say about the common cold: It sucks. The symptoms are uncomfortable, and they can come for you multiple times a year. If you're lucky enough to not get too sick, you get the unique misery of getting all your normal work done while buried under a mountain of tissues and the mental refrain How did I ever forget how wonderful life is when you don't have a runny nose?"

"The common cold isn't just a nuisance, though. It carries significant economic effects, causing an estimated $40 billion in losses in the U.S. each year from health care costs and missed work days. And for many people with underlying respiratory illnesses like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, aka COPD, it poses a serious threat in the same way that flu, COVID, and pneumonia are more deadly in vulnerable populations."

"Despite regularly meeting the cold on the front lines, we have relatively few weapons to fight it. There's a litany of cough syrups, but many are outright ineffective. Vitamin C might shorten the length of a cold, but it won't prevent one. Antibiotics do nothing to fight viruses (and they do lead to antibacterial resistance). And, of course, there's no cold vaccine, while you can go get a protective flu or COVID jab when fall weather rolls around. All you can really do is wash your hands a lot and prepare to grit your teeth through the eventual infection."

The common cold produces uncomfortable symptoms and recurs multiple times annually, often forcing people to work while ill and experience diminished well-being. The cold generates major economic costs, about $40 billion annually in the U.S., from health care expenses and missed work. Individuals with underlying respiratory illnesses such as asthma or COPD face serious risks from colds similar to those posed by flu, COVID, and pneumonia in vulnerable populations. Effective medical responses are limited: many cough remedies are ineffective, vitamin C may only shorten duration, antibiotics do not work against viruses, and no vaccine exists, leaving hand hygiene as a primary defense.

Read at Slate Magazine