Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
common cold
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Videos
Learn about the common cold, its causes, and remedies
See researchers simulate the 3-D motion of the human rhinovirus using IBM Blue Gene Q supercomputer to understand how the virus works
The difference between viral and bacterial infections
Quizzes
A Yorkshire terrier dressed up as a veterinarian or doctor on a white background. (dogs)
A Visit with the Word Doctor: Medical Vocabulary Quiz
Encyclopaedia Britannica thistle graphic to be used with a Mendel/Consumer quiz in place of a photograph.
44 Questions from Britannica’s Most Popular Health and Medicine Quizzes
Read Next
Ill young black (african american) woman with cold, lying in bed and holding a thermometer in her mouth.
How Do the Symptoms of COVID-19 Differ from Those of Cold and Flu?
Hand washing. Healthcare worker washing hands in hospital sink under running water. contagious diseases wash hands, handwashing hygiene, virus, human health
17 Questions About Health and Wellness Answered
Marina Spelzini, a registered nurse, measures out an H1N1 vaccine shot at the Miami Dade County Health Department downtown clinic on November 3, 2009 in Miami, Florida. (influenza, swine flu)
When Was the Last Pandemic?
People wearing surgical masks (also called face mask or medical masks or safety masks) walk through the city center of Milan, Italy on Feb. 23, 2020. Coronavirus disease COVID-19 pandemic
How Do Face Masks Control the Spread of Disease?
Infographic on the Influenza Pandemic of 1918-19
Influenza Pandemic of 1918–19 Chart
Discover
Lead image for "A Timeline of the World in 8 Maps"
A Timeline of the World in 8 Maps
NBA Lakers Celtics Finals Kevin Garnett shooting.
10 Great Sports Rivalries
Hindu Holi Festival celebrations with colored water, powder and colorful flower petals thrown over celebrants at a Hindu temple in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India on March 24, 2021.
Holi: Festival of Colors
Ruminant. Deer. Red deer. Cervus elaphus. Buck. Stag. Antlers.
9 of the World’s Deadliest Mammals
Close up of periodic table, focus on nickel, copper, zinc, palladium, silver, cadmium
When Was the Periodic Table Invented?
Statue of Liberty in front of the skyline of Manhattan, New York City, New York.
Who Was the Woman Behind the Statue of Liberty?
After a perfect launch, spectators try to catch a last glimpse of Space Shuttle Columbia, barely visible at the top end of the twisted column of smoke.
7 Accidents and Disasters in Spaceflight History

common cold: Facts & Related Content

verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/facts/common-cold
Written and fact-checked by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

News •

Media Advisory: Cold treatment does not appear to protect preterm infants from disability or death caused by oxygen loss, according to NIH-funded study • Feb. 25, 2025, 7:34 AM ET (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (.gov))

Facts

Also Known As afebrile coryza • acute rhinitis

Videos

Learn about the common cold, its causes, and remedies
See researchers simulate the 3-D motion of the human rhinovirus using IBM Blue Gene Q supercomputer to understand how the virus works
The difference between viral and bacterial infections
See All Videos →

Related Topics and References

Topics

Related Quizzes and Features

Quiz
Encyclopaedia Britannica thistle graphic to be used with a Mendel/Consumer quiz in place of a photograph.
44 Questions from Britannica’s Most Popular Health and Medicine Quizzes
A Yorkshire terrier dressed up as a veterinarian or doctor on a white background. (dogs)
A Visit with the Word Doctor: Medical Vocabulary Quiz
List
Hand washing. Healthcare worker washing hands in hospital sink under running water. contagious diseases wash hands, handwashing hygiene, virus, human health
17 Questions About Health and Wellness Answered