NEED TO KNOW
- Study finds catching a cold might block COVID, though side effects include sounding like a clogged trumpet.
- Children may be winning the pandemic simply by licking doorknobs and sneezing on everything in sight.
- Scientists confirm death still far more effective than rhinovirus for avoiding COVID-19.
The Unexpected Hero of Public Health
Researchers at National Jewish Health stunned the medical community by confirming that the Common cold may temporarily protect against COVID-19. The study suggests that children, whose hobbies include touching dirty playground equipment and eating glue sticks, are less likely to get severe COVID because they constantly host rhinoviruses like Airbnb guests.
This finding does not mean parents should rush their kids to Chuck E. Cheese during flu season. However, it does explain why your nephew Kyle, who spent last winter coughing into the family popcorn bowl, somehow never tested positive.
How It Works
According to researchers, colds trigger a strong interferon response in the body. Interferons are proteins that shout “INTRUDER ALERT” at a cellular level, making life harder for viruses trying to set up camp. For a few weeks after a cold, the immune system is essentially running Red Bull through its veins.
Still, the team made it clear: while the cold can give a head start, death remains undefeated in keeping people from catching COVID. “We cannot recommend it as a prevention strategy,” the lead author stressed, sounding uncomfortably like he had to say that out loud.
Gross but Effective
The study also found children have higher baseline immune defenses, likely because their bodies are constantly in germ warfare. Every time a child sneezes on a shared crayon, an immune system somewhere gets stronger. Adults, on the other hand, are more likely to be undone by a single handshake from Greg in accounting.
So next time someone coughs near you, take comfort: it may be disgusting, but it might also save you from something worse. Just not from having to share an elevator ride that feels like a biohazard experiment.
Death is still the gold standard of virus prevention, but the cold is catching up fast.
Dr. Lenard Schniff, Center for Unhelpful Comparisons
