Stuffy nose, headache, sore throat… what’s more common than cold symptoms? However, since the end of the various confinements due to the Covid-19 pandemic, you may be among those who have the impression that these conditions, admittedly unpleasant, are much more severe than usual. And according to experts interviewed by >the reasons are many.
First of all, it is important to point out that “there is no evidence that the viruses causing cold symptoms are more severe than before the pandemic”, say the experts. But some clues might explain why we feel our symptoms are more virulent, starting with… forgetfulness.
‘We’ve all forgotten what common colds were, and now we’re catching them once more’argues William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University. “The little exposure to viruses over time can make a simple cold seem much worse than before.”
But that’s not all. As Peter Chin-Hong, professor of medicine and infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, points out, “People who haven’t had a cold in a long time won’t have as much immunity to viruses.”
In fact, it is estimated that there are over 200 viruses that can cause cold symptoms. So, “being exposed to one does not mean you will be protected from another”, explains Peter Chin-Hong.
A relaxation of barrier gestures
Another reason explaining this impression of greater virulence of symptoms would lie in the relaxation, or even the total abandonment, of certain barrier gestures by part of the population.
“People are going out more than at the height of the pandemic and are meeting in more public spaces without masks”, experts say. Moreover, “When more people are sick, and others don’t have immunity, then those people are more likely to get sick, too.”
A similar phenomenon had also been observed in France this winter with the last major flu epidemic, which was particularly virulent during the holiday season. We also gave you some advice to prevent your family and friend gatherings from becoming a place of contamination.
