Sneeze! It is a noise that resonates like background music, whether in transport, in the workplace or even in the family environment. Colds are back with, like every year, their share of injustices. As you will have noticed, some people seem less impacted by viruses than others. So, is it just a feeling? Do some people keep getting colds? We take stock.
Cold: how to explain that some people get sick more often?
Otto Yang, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases and of microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, said in the media Todaythat on average, an adult catches between one and three colds in a year. But this figure remains to be qualified, because several factors come into account.
The circulation of several diseases simultaneously
During the winter season, several diseases can circulate at the same time. We note in particular the flu, Covid-19 or even bronchiolitis. Experts say the increase in cases seen among children last winter was because they weren’t exposed to the virus during the pandemic.
“After a few years of this pandemic effect, we’ll probably start to see (trends in the United States) return to what we saw before the pandemic, in terms of the circulation of bronchiolitis, influenza and other viruses respiratory”explains Andy Pekosz, virologist and professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at the University of Washington to the media Today before specifying, “These viruses quickly return to an equilibrium where the number of cases decreases again because pre-existing immunity is back in the population.”
Immune system
“Not all exposures end in infection,” explains Dr. Bernard Camins, medical director for infection prevention at the Mount Sinai health system, in the columns of Today. The immune system plays a fundamental role in the severity of disease symptoms. Indeed, if he was already fighting an illness, the risks of falling ill with pronounced symptoms are higher. In this case, “you’re just more likely to get infected because your immune system is weaker,” specifies the specialist to the American media.
Age
Age is one of the factors that can impact the number of colds during the year. Dr. Frank Esper, pediatric infectious disease specialist at Cleveland Clinic.com, interviewed by Today, estimate that younger people can catch up to one cold per month. But with age, this figure can drop to four to six times a year for children.
As an adult, this should be between one and three colds per year. “By the time you reach your 30s or 40s, you have actually been exposed to many cold viruses and have some immunity to them”specifies virologist Andy Pekosz, to the media Today.
The level of exposure to viruses
Exposure to viruses is a fundamental factor in the risk of getting sick. Whether during transport, at school, at work or with family, there are many situations that can lead to contamination. In these moments, it is important to keep certain reflexes, such as hand washing. “A person who tends not to go out and wash their hands all the time will be less likely to catch a cold than someone who is very social or whose job requires them to interact frequently with other people.”explains Dr. Thomas Murray, associate professor of pediatric infectious diseases at the Yale School of Medicine to the media Today.
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