The common cold has been around for hundred of years. It is most commonly caused by one of the serotypes of rhinoviruses – these are viruses as the name suggests, not bacteria.
To the left is a very easy to understand flow diagram on the symptoms of a normal upper respiratory tract infection as published in the S Afr Gen Prac 2022
Certain virus infections are more prevalent in colder months. Also important is not all “colds” doing the rounds currently are caused by the same family of viruses
Statistics released by Ampath for May 2022 show an uptick in Enterovirus, Rhinovirus, Covid-19 and Influenza A
If you or your child’s symptoms differ from the norm – please consult your doctor. The extremes of age (very old and very young) are at a higher risk for complications from the common cold
