How the Common Cold Is Spread

The common cold is an upper respiratory infection. It is a contagious illness you can get if you are not careful. Being extra careful is important. Knowing how it spreads can help you avoid contracting it. If you want to know how the common cold spreads, here are the details.

How the cold virus spreads

The common cold virus is spread often through direct contact or aerosol. The virus can transmit about 40,000 virus-rich droplets about 15 feet in cold, dry air. This happens each time an infected person sneezes. This easy transmission is the reason why many classrooms and offices are contaminated easily.

High humidity reduces the distance traveled by the virus when sneezed out. It makes it difficult for the virus to stay suspended in the air. This level of humidity has warm, heavy air. The virus cannot stay that long in this type of climate.

Contaminated surfaces can also spread the common cold. An infected person could sneeze on, cough on, or touch a surface. Other people could catch the virus left on that surface. Solid surfaces can transfer the cold virus better than porous ones.

How a common cold virus can attach to people

This virus will attach to the mucous membranes. It will get into the nose, eyes, or mouth. Rhinovirus is the most common cold virus. This will attach to the upper respiratory tract within just 15 minutes of direct contact. It will start to infect the lining of the throat and nose. The mild symptoms will start to appear about eight to 10 hours after.

The individual will start having irritation in the throat and a runny nose. Sneezing will also begin. The symptoms will worsen a little over seven to 10 days. Fever, throat pain, and a little body pain will follow. A trip to the urgent care clinic will help bring down the symptoms.

Incubation period

It takes 24-72 hours for the cold virus to incubate. The infected person will develop more of the cold symptoms one to three days after exposure. The common cold symptoms include headache, sore throat, runny nose, coughing, and congestion. The infected individual may have only some of these symptoms. Even so, it would still be a type of cold or viral infection of some sort.

Infectious period

Cold symptoms may be similar to flu. However, influenza causes more severe symptoms. The infectious period is also different than that of the cold virus. For the common cold, the infected person is contagious for two to four days after the development of the symptoms.

Most colds last for a week. But it is still possible to spread the virus after the symptoms are done. The cold virus can live in the body for up to three weeks. The recovered individual could still spread the common cold virus.