Community Magazine January 2019

124 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE Peleh the BoyWonder HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED… Child Prodigy PelehWunder – more commonly known as Peleh the BoyWonder Why is a cold called “the common cold”? B efore scientists knew about bacteria and viruses, they noticed that most coughing, sneezing, and runny noses occurred in the winter. So, they called that type of sickness a “cold.” Eventually they realized that it’s not the cold temperature that causes colds, but rather the dryness in the air (low humidity) which is so prevalent in the winter. But for some reason, even until today, many people are still convinced that a cold results from exposure to cold weather. The fact is, however, that cold conditions have little or no effect on the development or severity of a cold. The cold became known as “the common cold” because it is the most frequent infectious disease among people. On average, an adult will get a cold two to three times a year, while a child will catch it between six and twelve time a year. Colds are the most common reason for children to miss school and adults to miss work. Are colds contagious? The common cold is highly contagious. The cold virus, which enters your body through your mouth, eyes, or nose, can spread through droplets in the air when someone who is sick coughs, sneezes, or talks. But the virus also spreads by hand-to-hand contact with someone who has a cold, or by touching your nose, eyes, or mouth after you have touched something contaminated by the cold virus, such as a doorknob, towel, phone, or toy. People are most contagious for the first two to three days of a cold. A cold is usually not contagious after the first week. Cold symptoms usually start about two or three days after you came in contact with the virus, although it could take up to a week for the symptoms to manifest. Fortunately, common colds are usually harmless and do not last too long.