“Tis the season…to catch a cold

That scratchy throat, the runny nose and headache, the cough and low-grade fever are harbingers of the season-the cold season that is. There are 100 different viruses that cause the symptoms of a cold, but the most common culprit is the Rhinovirus.
The National Institute of Health (NIH) reports that adults contract an average two to three colds per year while children suffer through an average of six to 10. The duration of a common cold is usually a few days, but a bad one can keep you in misery for as long as two weeks, according to the NIH.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), viruses (including those that can cause colds) can survive for as long as two hours or more on surfaces like cafeteria tables, doorknobs, and desks. In the United States, close to 22 million school days are lost annually due to the common cold alone.
Few people come across more cold sufferers than the school nurse. Locust Grove Elementary School’s nurse, LPN Tammy Bennett, said this is the time of year when students flock to her office with predictable symptoms: coughs, sore throats, stuffy and runny noses, headaches and sneezing.
Bennett said she starts seeing cold-afflicted kids once October rolls around.
According to the Virginia Department of Health, the rhinovirus’ main source of transmission is through tiny droplets sprayed into the air from an infected person’s cough of sneeze.
Bennett encourages the youngsters at school to develop the habit of covering their mouth or nose when they feel the urge to cough or sneeze.
“That way you’re not spreading germs in the air,“ she said.
Most of the teachers at Locust Grove have a stockpile of tissues tucked away in preparation for cold season, Bennett said. And when students begin sniffling, those tissues are generously distributed to cold sufferers who are instructed to use them, and then throw them away immediately to prevent spreading germs to classmates.
The most effective way to ward off the rhinovirus, according to health experts is to wash hands-wash them well and wash them often.
“I believe in soap and water,“ Bennett said. She recommends sudsing hands thoroughly-for at least 20 to 30 seconds-using warm water. If soap and water aren’t available, the use of an alcohol-based hand sanitizer is better than nothing.
Because germs can spread from person to person from contaminated surfaces, Bennett said all school staff is going the extra mile to disinfect objects like doorknobs around the school.
Bennett said she uses products like Lysol disinfectant aerosol spray frequently, to kill germs in high-traffic areas. “School custodians do extra disinfecting this time of year,“ she added.
If it’s too late, if you’ve already fallen to the sniffles and sneezes, runny nose and other assorted ailments, Bennett said she tells people to stay at home. The more people a cold sufferer comes in contact with, the greater the risk of spreading germs to others.
“There’s no fast cure,“ she explained, “the virus has to run its course. You can have medicine to make you feel better, but nothing is going to cure it overnight.“
Consuming lots of fluids-water, tea, broth or juice-helps the body recover, as does sufficient rest. An anti-inflammatory like acetaminophen or ibuprofen will help with any aches or fever. And using a vaporizer or humidifier can relieve congestion.
There are times when a cold isn’t a cold, Bennett warned. For some unlucky victims, complications of colds can turn into bacterial sinusitis, bacterial middle ear infection, they can trigger asthma attacks, and serious exacerbations of chronic bronchitis. That’s when it’s time to visit the doctor, she said.