As we can see nowadays many people suffering from cold as the winter
season is on its way, this cold happens to be, due to change in
season. In context of Nepal, its prevalence increases slowly after the
end of Dashain or we can say from 1st week of Kartik and remains high
to last week of Kartik or it may extend to the 2nd week of Mangshir
aswell (October-November), and than it slowly declines. Seasonal
change in realtive humidity may also affect the prevalence of colds.
As well as, many schools and colleges remain shutdown for winter
vacation which prompt people spend more time indoors which increase
the chances of spread of cold viruses from one person to another.

The most common cold causing viruses survive better when humidity is
low, the colder months of the year. Cold weather also may make the
nasal passages lining drier and making more vulnerable to viral
infection.


¤ Spreading of Colds

It usually depends on various means, and most of all it depends on the
type of the virus. Any or all of the following routes may be the cause
of transmission:-

1) Touching:- Infectious respiratory secretions can be present on any
material or article or surfaces. This mode is most common and gets
transmitted while touching the infectious particle and then touching
the eye or nose.

2) Inhalation:- This usually occurs in a close confined room or in the
crowdy places. It can be sub-divided in two parts,

i) Inhaling relatively large particles of respiratory secretions
transported briefly in air, and

ii) Inhaling droplet nuclei, these are the smaller infectious
particles suspended in the air for long periods of time.

Rhinovirus, the most common virus known to cause the common cold,
which are shed in highest concentraion in the nasal secretions. A
person is most likely to transmit rhino viruses in the second to
fourth day of infection, when the virus in the nasal secretion is
highest. Latest study reveal that treatment of colds increase the
amount of virus in the nasal secretion which make the sufferer more of
a hazard to others.



¤ Prevention

Handwashing is the simplest and most effective way to keep from
getting rhinovirus colds. Not touching the nose or eyes is another.
Individuals with colds should always sneeze or cough into a facial
tissue, and promptly throw it away. If possible, one should avoid
close, prolonged exposure to persons who have colds. Because
rhinoviruses can survive up to three hours outside the nasal passages
on inanimate objects and skin, cleaning environmental surfaces with a
virus-killing disinfectant might help prevent spread of infection.