To avoid catching a cold or the flu, just staying away from those who are infected may not be adequate protection. Even though it’s easy to confuse a cold with the flu, the two viruses have nothing in common –except their ability to inflict misery, say scientists. Colds come wrapped in sneezes, coughs, occasional fever, congestion and a general listlessness. When cold sufferers wheeze, sneeze or cough, they spray fine droplets of virus-bearing mucus and saliva into the environment. Until those tiny droplets dry, which can take several hours or even days, they are capable of infecting others with the cold virus. According to some experts, “It’s usually the people who are considerate enough to cough or sneeze into a tissue or handkerchief who spread the infection>” the mucus, say the experts, leaks through the paper onto their hands, taking the virus along with it. As a result, you can catch a cold virus from a telephone receiver, computer keyboard, coffee utensils or by shak...
Colds and flu can give us bad days, stealing the productive days we should be having. But there are simple ways to prevent them.