Colds and Flu - how much do you know? Quiz

Answer: Strong alcohol, water, honey and lemon

A hot toddy certainly isn't proven to actually relieve the symptoms of the common cold, but if you think they'll make you feel better - go for it! If you want to make a hot toddy, here's a good recipe:
* 3.5 tablespoons of strong alcohol such as Whisky, Bourbon or Dark rum or Brandy
* 3.5 tablespoons boiling water
* Half a teaspoon of honey
* A dash of lemon and a couple of cloves (optional)

Place the alcohol in a container, stir the honey in, add the boiling water, lemon and cloves and serve piping hot. Sip slowly (you don't wan't to make your sore throat any worse by burning it!)

Answer: Colds are produced by a variety of rapidly mutating viruses

Because common colds are produced by rapidly mutating viruses, it is thought that finding an effective vaccine for the common cold is highly improbable. Not good news for any of us who suffer colds regularly...

Answer: True

Yes, true of course. Adults will generally contract an infection 2-4 times a year, whereas children will contract one 6-12 times per year. This is thought to be because children tend to congregate together in closer quarters than adults e.g. at school, the playground, playgroups, etc.

Answer: Zinc

Rather interestingly, the Cochrane Library (a collection of databases in medicine and other healthcare specialties) did a review on vitamin C's effects on the common cold which showed that contrary to popular belief, vitamin C does not reduce the risk of getting a common cold, and nor does it reduce the severity. (The authors did suggest that vitamin C can be used as a preventive of the common cold - but only in people exposed to brief periods of severe physical exercise or cold environments).
Honey may help with reducing the symptoms of a cough (but don't give to a child under 1 - because of the risk of infant botulism).
Zinc, on the other hand, has been found to reduce both the symptoms and duration of illness - and may be useful for prevention. This doesn't surprise me overly - I use it every time I feel a cold coming on and I haven't had a bad cold for about five years...

Answer: Because of the similarity between its symptoms and those of exposure to cold weather

Yep, this isn't a hard one - the cold was simply called a cold because of the similarity between its symptoms and those of exposure to cold weather. The name "common cold" came into use in the 16th century.

Answer: Viral upper respiratory tract infection

The common cold is medically referred to as a viral upper respiratory tract infection. More than 200 different types of viruses are known to cause the common cold, with rhinovirus causing approximately 30-35% of these. Symptoms may include cough, sore throat, nasal congestion, runny nose and sn...snee...sneezing. Bless you.

Answer: La Grippe

La Grippe was the correct answer. More people died of influenza in a single year from La Grippe or Spanish Flu than in the four years of the 1347-1351 Black Death Bubonic Plague.

Answer: Stars

Influenza comes ultimately from the Latin word influentia, meaning "influence of the stars." Since organisms were not known in 1743 (which is when influenza was first applied to the disease) it was thus believed that stars were responsible for the flu spreading so widely and so quickly.

Answer: Sneezing

Sternutation (from Late Latin sternūtāre to sneeze, from sternuere to sputter (of a light)) is the official name for sneezing. The first official use of sternutation was in the 15th century. The word 'sneeze' actually developed from the Anglo Saxon word fneosan (to snort or sneeze) in the 1640s.

Answer: Yes

Yes, cats and dogs can get the flu. In dogs it's called Canine Flu and in cats it's called Feline Herpes Virus. The symptoms are very similar to the ones we get - that is, sneezing, nasal discharge, eye discharge, fever and loss of appetite. The flu in cats and dogs can be life-threatening if not treated, so if your pet is experiencing these symptoms, you might want to see a vet :)