March of the Bugs Begins As Flu, Cold Season Hits Its Stride

Summary

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Most pediatricians are pretty nice people for much of the year. They tend to be a friendly, cheerful bunch, as opposed to some of their more uptight colleagues in other specialties. Sometime in mid- January, however, when cold and flu season hits full stride, a hideous transformation occurs, and they become, dare I say it, grumpy. This behavior change usually lasts until April, when the runny noses clear up and the world is full of sunshine and kittens again.

The common cold, also known as an upper respiratory infection, is caused by a virus that attacks the nose and throat. There are more than 200 viruses that can cause a cold, which explains why some children keep getting infected over and over. Colds are spread by contact with infected snot, either directly by hand contact or indirectly through coughing and sneezing. Many cold viruses can live on household surfaces such as door handles for up to three days and can be transmitted that way.

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Extract

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March of the Bugs Begins As Flu, Cold Season Hits Its Stride

With all due respect to grandmothers, colds are not the result of going outside without a jacket/hat/mittens/ mukluks/whatever...

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