Virus: The Common Cold

By: Karena Daughtridge & Grace Joyner

The Common Cold

• The common cold is a contagious, viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory system.

Benjamin Franklin

• Benjamin Franklin discovered the common cold. It began to spread in the U.S leading to 75 to 100 million physician visits.

Influenza

• The common cold is not that serious but if it is not well treated it can progress into Influenza.

The cure…

• There is no cure for the infection. There are no antiviral drugs approved to treat the common cold. Even though the common cold is generally mild and self limiting seek medical help and use over the counter drugs.

Case Study:Common Cold • The tickle that I felt in the back of my throat this past Friday morning sent

a tremor down my spine. I was coming down with a cold. Normally, I didn’t get sick much, and if I did it wasn’t serious, so I wasn’t worried. The cold was much milder than I had expected! I stayed up really late Friday night and still did not even manage to get my homework done for the weekend. On Saturday evening I tried to explain to my mother that I couldn’t help my dad with the garden, using the lame excuse of a runny nose. Still, I did try some nasal medication, which seemed to work. Today my nose felt a little bit better when I woke up and every now an then I have to sniffle but I would say if you asked me, I am way better than I was earlier. I want to go to the doctor, but my mom says it’s not necessary. I ended up calling my dad to take me to the doctor because I began to feel light headed. When I showed up we waited about 15 minutes, then the doctor called my name. I got up and followed him into the small room. I explained to him what had been going on. He did a regular check-up, and told me he was 100% sure I just had the common cold, and that I would be ok. He recommended I continue using the nasal medication I had been using. I went home and rested. When I woke up the next morning I felt the best I had ever felt. The cold was over! I was back to my regular self.

citation

• "Common cold." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 13 May 2009, 15:04 UTC. 13 May 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Common_cold&oldid=289678565>.

The End!!!!!

Thank you