Catch the perfect cold–the kind with no symptoms

It’s not enough, apparently, that we have to deal with cold and flu season. Now research shows that we can actually have more than one cold at a time.

We call it a cold. Researchers call it human rhinovirus, or HRV. But whatever you call it, it’s not really singular, it’s plural. At this time of year there are nearly 100 different cold strains circulating.

So you could easily pick up a couple of those strains at the same time. But the unpleasant prospect of a double cold isn’t the worst of it. Research from the University of Wisconsin shows that two HRV strains in one body can recombine. That is, they can exchange genetic material and create a new strain.

Yeesh! A triple cold!

But there is some good news here. It appears that multiple cold strains in one person do not create a perfect storm of severe symptoms. So you might have a few colds at once and not even know it.

In fact, according to a New York Times report, one out of every four HRV infections doesn’t cause any symptoms at all.

A phantom cold with no symptoms? I guess I’ll take two of those!

Sources:
“The Claim: A Person Can Contract Two Colds at One Time” Anahad O’Connor, New York Times, 11/17/09, nytimes.com