The college students at Fanshawe have been at school for a little over a month now, and it’s safe to say the common cold has spreading throughout the school.
The cold is caused by a virus, most commonly the rhinovirus, roughly 40 per cent of all colds are due to the rhinovirus.
You can catch the cold by getting it from another person. Usually by touching surfaces like keyboards, doorknobs, phones, etc, then touch your nose or mouth. Your immune system, attacks the virus, but unless you had this exact strain of virus before, the immune system fails causing you to start coughing and runny nose.
When having the cold, it is recommended to stay home and rest. It is estimated that 40 per cent of time lost at work was due to the cold, while only 30 per cent of school absences in Canada.
When asked in the halls, 5 out of 8 Fanshawe students have been sick or currently sick since the start of school.
