What Viruses Causes the Common Cold - Special Academic Support

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Common cold is a broad designation of upper respiratory infections, caused by more than 200 different viruses. In fact, it is one of the most widespread illnesses that exist in the world. It affects the social, economic, and political spheres of peoples lives, forcing them to miss their work and school days and increase expenditures on costly consultations with doctors. Although the research on the common cold is extensive, many people worldwide are not informed well about the causes, non-ordinary symptoms, and the ways how to avoid it. Not trying to examine all the information about the common cold, the essay will be devoted to various viruses responsible for it.

First of all, the big number of viruses that cause the common cold can be put on two types of spectrums: from most widespread to rare and from the less harmful to the most dangerous. Rhinovirus is responsible for half of the common cold cases among the adult population (Greenberg 555). It is hard to unequivocally evaluate rhinovirus in the level of its harm. Although it is not dangerous for healthy people, it can be associated with complications in individuals who suffer from heart or lung disease, or who are immunosuppressed (Greenberg 555). The complexity of the research on the rhinoviruses increases with the fact that there are more than 150 serotypes of it, which differ in their cell receptor (Greenberg 555). One of the debatable questions about rhinovirus in the scientific community is the mechanism of infectious cough that was brought on by it (Atkinson et al. 1). All in all, rhinovirus is definitely the major virus that triggers the common cold.

Other viruses that are also responsible for the significant number of infections are coronaviruses, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and adenoviruses. In fact, these viruses are active during different months: the peak of coronavirus happens between November and February, RSV is active between December and March, and adenovirus is considerably present all year except summer (Pappas 200). One of the major shifts is that the human coronavirus has become a great challenge for the humanity during 2020-2021 COVID-19 pandemic. The reason is that the new coronavirus is hugely pathogenic, causing increased mortality even among previously healthy people (Paules et al. 707). Therefore, coronavirus can be put on the dangerous viruses part of the virus spectrum. As for RSV and adenoviruses, they are highly contagious and sometimes have severe symptoms, but at the same time, they are causing low mortality.

To sum up, the common cold is a widespread infection that is caused by more than 200 viruses. It is an upper respiratory infection that is characterized by the inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nose and throat. The majority of cases of the common cold are caused by the rhinovirus. The mostly harmless for healthy people, the danger of rhinovirus compensates with the increased difficulties for the people who suffer from heart or lung disease. Other viruses that are responsible for the significant number of cases of the common cold are coronavirus, RSV, and adenovirus. The relevance of the danger of the coronavirus was raised in 2020 when the pandemic of COVID-19 has started. As for RSV and adenovirus, the research shows that the mortality rate because of them is low.

Strep throat is the infection of the back of the throat caused by a bacterium called streptococcus pyogenes. Streptococcus pyogenes have thick cell walls, spherical in shape with 0.6-1.0 micrometer in diameter, and its energy cycles in the absence of oxygen follow an anaerobic path (Kebede et al. 2). Besides, the streptococcus pyogenes form in a chain shape together, not a common shape of grape-like clusters. The results of the Gram stain test yield positive results (Kebede et al. 2). In this research report, the overview of strep throat disease will be outlined in detail.

Strep throat is a disease with specific characteristics which make it quite clear when the patient has such disease. Its symptoms are throat pain and painful swallowing, fever, red dots on the palate, headache, and rash (Mustafa and Ghaffari 2). Although these symptoms are quite recognizable, the test called rapid antigen is the major way to determine the existence of streptococcus pyogenes (Mustafa and Ghaffari 3). Rapid antigen test is the fast way to determine the disease by a swab sample through lateral flow technology. Finally, strep throat is treated mostly with antibiotics, while the minor symptoms can disappear without them (Mustafa and Ghaffari 8). In addition, one can use symptom relievers in order to reduce the symptoms of fever.

The specialist in the treatment of strep throat should also understand the specific periods of the diseases incubation period and convalescence period. Firstly, the incubation period of strep throat lasts 1-4 days with the common 1 day period among children (Pirato 148). Secondly, the symptoms of the illness can appear within 2 to 5 days. Thirdly, the illness itself can go away after 3 days but it usually takes approximately 7 days (Pirato 150). All in all, strep throat is not a long-living disease, so the duration of illness is quite short.

Although there are plenty of ways how to protect yourself from strep throat, as well as doctors can give a variety of drugs, there are no vaccines to prevent it. The reason is that strep throat does not cause high mortality, especially among children. Therefore, the search for vaccines is not placed as the top priority, which is also affected by the prevalence of research on the COVID-19 vaccines. The main drugs that are given by doctors are penicillin or amoxicillin (Mustafa and Ghaffari 7). In fact, they greatly satisfy the needs of the patients because these drugs are not expensive and efficient with strep throat bacteria.

Finally, the ways of transmission and the prevention of strep throat should be considered. Strep throat is transmitted through individual contact with infected people. More precisely, it is transmitted through the saliva or nasal secretions of the infected person (Nwankwo et al. 60). As for the options to avoid strep throat, the way of preventing infection is similar to the basic avoidance of the common cold. It is necessary to wash hands regularly, do not cough on others, use antiseptics, and so forth. In practice, such measures can overlap with the present avoidance of the COVID-19 infection, so the number of infected people can fall down during 2021.

To sum up, strep throat and the bacterium streptococcus pyogenes that cause it are well researched which make it easier to treat it by doctors. Although the symptoms of it are quite unpleasant, the duration of illness is not long enough to be an extremely serious disease. Without effective vaccines, specialists of strep throat have efficient drugs called penicillin or amoxicillin. All in all, the research on strep throat can be related to the development of more effective strategies to avoid this disease in daily life.

Works Cited

Atkinson, Samantha K., et al. How Does Rhinovirus Cause the Common Cold Cough? BMJ Open Respiratory Research, vol. 3, no. 1, 2016, pp. 1-11.

Greenberg, Stephen. Update on Human Rhinovirus and Coronavirus Infections. Seminars in Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, vol. 37, no. 4, 2016, pp. 555571.

Kebede, Destaw, et al. Prevalence and Antibiotics Susceptibility Profiles of Streptococcus Pyogenes among Pediatric Patients with Acute Pharyngitis at Felege Hiwot Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia. BMC Microbiology, vol. 21, no. 1, 2021, p. 1-10.

Mustafa, Zahid, and Masoumeh Ghaffari. Diagnostic Methods, Clinical Guidelines, and Antibiotic Treatment for Group A Streptococcal Pharyngitis: A Narrative Review. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, vol. 10, 2020, pp. 1-10.

Nwankwo, I. U., et al. Occurrence and Antibiotic Susceptibility of Streptococcus Pyogenes Isolated from Throat of Patients That Attended Federal Medical Centre Umuahia, Abia State. World, vol. 3, no. 1, 2016, pp. 6164.

Pappas, Diane E. The Common Cold. Principles and Practice of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, vol.1, no. 1, 2018, pp. 199-203.

Paules, Catharine I., et al. Coronavirus InfectionsMore than Just the Common Cold. Jama, vol. 323, no. 8, 2020, pp. 707708.

Pitaro, Maria. Sore Throat Is. Acessado Dezembro, vol. 15, 2016, pp. 147-150.

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