Joseph's Story
Joseph was conghiug, gseezinn, and starting to feel very idrte, but he went to school anyway. During lunch, several of his friends asked him if he was csik. As he started to answer, he sneezed. It happened so quickly that he could not crvoe his nose. None of his friends saw or felt the microscopic roeptdsl that carry influenza vusir that came out of Josephs nose and that they unknowingly lahndei into their own lungs.
The next morning, Joseph kewo up and felt as if he could not get out of bed. He had a high erfve about 102 degrees Fahrenheitbut felt syvireh. His head, usmscel, and whole body ached, and his nose was csdtgeeno. He had the flu.
For the next few days, Joseph's friends felt fine. They did not know that the flu virus they had inhaled was insraedgp through their bodies. Then one morning, several of Joseph's friends woke up with a fever, sneezing, and coughing. Within a few hours, they felt as if they had no negrye. They, too, had the flu.
Exercise 5. Compare and contrast.
Is it a Cold or the Flu?
Doctors say that more than 200 different viruses can cause symptoms of the common cold. In fact, many people say that they have the flu when they really have a common cold. How can people tell the difference?
| a Cold | the Flu | |
| symptoms | come on slowly | come on suddenly |
| fever | rare | high (lasting 3-4 days) |
| headache | sometimes | often |
| aches and pains | slight | severe |
| fatigue and weakness | mild | typical and may last several weeks |
| extreme exhaustion | never seen | comes early and prominently |
| sneezing | usual | seen sometimes |
| running nose | usual | seen sometimes |
| scratchy or sore throat | common | seen sometimes |
| chest discomfort | mild to moderate | common and can become severe |
| coughing | seen | seen |
Exercise 6. Read the text and match the headings and the paragraphs. Then make up 5 questions to the text and ask your groupmates to answer them.
Is the Common Cold Contagious?
Complications
How Common Is the Common Cold?
Treatment
What Is the Common Cold?
Signs and symptoms
What Happens to Someone Who Has a Cold?
Can Colds Be Prevented?
(1)_______________________________________
More than 200 different viruses can cause colds. Children get colds most frequently, in part due to their close contact with so many other children in school. Younger children are more likely to cough without covering their mouths and not wash their hands.
In North America, young children in daycare may catch several (sometimes as many as 10 or more) colds each year. People tend to get fewer colds as they grow older because they develop immunity to some of these viruses after being infected with them.
(2)______________________________________
As many as a billion colds occur each year in the United States. The National Center for Health Statistics notes that on a yearly basis close to 22 million school days are lost due to illness from colds, and 45 million days are spent resting while recovering from colds.
|
|
|
(3)______________________________
Colds are very contagious. In general, they are most contagious during the first few days of illness, when symptoms such as congestion (stuffy nose) and sneezing are starting. Cold viruses often spread through direct contact. Shaking the unwashed hand of someone with a cold (who has just touched his or her face) can easily spread the virus. When an infected person laughs, sneezes, or coughs, virus-packed droplets of moisture from the persons mouth and nose can become suspended in the air, where they can be inhaled by others.
(4)____________________________________
(5)____________ Cold symptoms usually appear within two to three days after the person becomes infected. They often include a runny or stuffy nose, watery eyes, coughing, mild muscle aches, tiredness, headache, low fever, and a scratchy sore throat.
(6)___________ People who come down with colds can help themselves feel better by taking care of themselves at home until the infection goes away on its own. Bed rest helps tiredness, and inhaling mist in a steamy bathroom or running a humidifier in the bedroom to moisten dry air can relieve congestion and make it easier to breathe. Drinking plenty of clear or warm fluids may also reduce congestion, and tea with honey can soothe a scratchy throat. Over-the-counter medicines such as acetaminophen* can ease headaches and body aches and lower fever. Over-the-counter cold medicines may also help relieve symptoms. Symptoms of a cold can last several weeks, but most people recover within a few days.
Because viruses cause colds, antibiotics are not useful in fighting these infections. Some antiviral drugs may be effective in fighting some cold-causing viruses.
(7)_______________ Sometimes colds can cause swelling and irritation in the nasal passages and airways leading to the lungs. Bacteria that invade the body can flourish in these areas, causing additional infections. This is why it is not uncommon for someone to develop sinusitis, an ear infection, or bronchitis at the end of a bad cold. For those with weaker immune systems, such as the very young, the elderly, or those with chronic illnesses, these secondary infections can lead to severe bronchitis or pneumonia, which may sometimes be life threatening. Colds can also trigger flare-ups.
(8)______________________
To lower the risk of catching (or spreading) a cold, people should wash their hands frequently and cover their mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. Avoiding touching the eyes or nose as much as possible, regularly cleaning bathroom and kitchen surfaces to get rid of germs, and avoiding close, extended contact with anyone who has a cold are also helpful.
Researchers have explored the idea of a cold vaccine, but many different viruses can cause colds, making the development of a single, effective vaccine a great challenge.
