What are colds, coughs, and sore throats?

Also known as: common cold, viral infection, viral sore throat, upper respiratory tract infection, URI

The common cold is a very common contagious viral infection of the nose and throat (upper respiratory tract). Babies and infants may have many (> 6-8 colds per year-sometimes even more if they are in kindergarten), with older children/ adolescents having 2-4/ year. Cold season for children is between September and March/April.

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Reviewed by: Jack Wolfsdorf, MD, FAAP

This page was last updated on: 1/29/2019 3:21:13 PM