If the cold is such a basic virus, then why does it take the immune system so lo!


Question: If the cold is such a basic virus, then why does it take the immune system so long to fight it off!?
Just as the question says, if the cold is such a basic human-virus, why does it take so long to get rid of it!.Www@Answer-Health@Com


Answers:
The reason being that there is a multitude of different viruses which cause the common cold so each time you get a cold it is caused by a different virus and your body has to fight a new strain each time

We had a common cold research unit here in Salisbury which tried for years to conquer the common cold!.

In 1946 the CCU was involved in discovering basic facts about the virus which causes colds, not testing cold cures or vaccines!. But, as viruses causing colds could not be cultivated and detected in the laboratory, volunteers were needed for all direct experiments on the common cold!.
People used to go there for free holidays--ideal for honeymoons-10 days-they were kept isolated from everyone else and they would be infected with different cold viruses


By 1959 many of the viruses which caused colds could be cultivated and recognised in tissue cultures, and the problem of common colds was being studied in many laboratories without using human volunteers!. However, the CCU continued to use large numbers of volunteers in various studies:

1)The study of common cold viruses that could not yet be cultivated in the laboratory
2)Investigation of the process of infection in humans and the spread of the virus from person to person
3)Development and testing of methods of vaccination
4)Assessment of effectiveness of antiviral substances

They were very close to a cure at one time but they closed
without having found one!.
http://bmj!.bmjjournals!.com/cgi/content/f!.!.!.
Cold Wars--is the name of the book mentioned in Dr Tyrrells obituary
Tyrrell, David A!. J!./ Fielder, Michael
Published: Sun, Dec 01 2002Www@Answer-Health@Com

a cold is caused by many many different varieties of "rhino virus"!. At last count there were 74 identified viruses that cause cold symptoms!.!.!.!.a person can be infected with one, or several at one time!. Once you have had the illness, you are there after immune to the particular virus/viruses that infected you!.!.!.but that leaves about 73 more that can still cause a cold!.
AS for why it takes the body "so long" to fight it off!.!.!.!.actually it doesn't fight it off!.!.!.the immune system protects the primary functions of the body while the virus goes thru it's life cycle!. Two weeks, it takes that long for the virus to colonize, proliferate, degenerate and die off!. You are miserable all that time because of the varying stages of the viral life cycle!.
Not because your immune system "fights" it off, it doesn't!. It just serves to keep you alive during the cycle!. Obviously, it works really well!.!.!.!.people don't die from cold viruses!.Www@Answer-Health@Com

Ryan James McCulloch,
The common cold is a highly contagious viral infection!. It is known as acute coryza or acute nasopharyngitis!. It affects the upper respiratory tract and is primarily caused by coronaviruses, picornaviruses which include rhinoviruses!. The entire cold is usually over all by itself in about 7 days, with perhaps a few lingering symptoms, like a cough, for another week!. If it lasts longer, consider another problem, such as a sinus infection or allergies!. Half of the time, a cold is caused by the class of viruses called rhinoviruses!. The rhinovirus gets into the cells lining your nose and starts reproducing!. It arrives from other people -- it is not cold weather that causes a cold, but the fact that cold weather causes people to congregate together indoors, which makes transmission of the virus easier!. The virus generally moves from someone else's hands to your hands (either directly or through some intermediate surface like a door knob), and from your hands into your nose or eyes!. Washing your hands may well assist in preventing infections of the common cold!. As a matter of interest, For many years there was a UK government sponsored facility in the south of England that was involved in research into developing a cure for the common cold!. It has closed down and there was no positive result!.
The information provided here should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition!. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions!.


Hope this helps
matador 89Www@Answer-Health@Com

Because it takes time for the cells in the immuns system to do all these things:

1 - Notice that there is an infection
2 - Identify what parts of the virus to attack
3 - Train other cells to produce antibodies
4 - Produce enough antibodies to defeat the virus
5 - Destroy damaged cells and dead virus particles
6 - Repair the tissues

When you put it that way, a week doesn't sound long!.Www@Answer-Health@Com





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