Sneeze on
the common cold is rarely life threatening. But their collective toll of misery and absenteeism is nothing to sneeze at. Billions of people the world over come down with colds every year. It is estimated that children average six to eight colds a year; adults, two to four, depending upon the climatic conditions. Each year, according to the us National Center for Health Statistics, about 65 million us citizens suffer from colds serious enough to visit the doctor or knock them out of work or school. The numbers should be considerably higher for India and it is perhaps the most common ailment.
Ubiquitous, contagious and incurable, the common cold usually lasts a week or more. It thrives in winter and is caused by viruses, a word whose Latin root means slimy poison. In fact, over 200 viral bugs
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