Can This New Treatment Stop the Common Cold? (fortune.com) 67
"Researchers may have identified a compound that can stop some of the most common cold viruses, the rhinovirus, in its tracks, according to a new report published in the journal Nature." An anonymous reader quotes Fortune:
The scientists' work is early-stage. But the mechanism it uses to tackle colds is striking. Developed at the Imperial College London, the molecule targets a protein in human cells that cold viruses use in order to replicate and conquer. By targeting this specific pathway, the compound could theoretically be used to thwart most viruses (and since it focuses on human proteins, it may not cause the virus to mutate its way away from danger)...
"The common cold is an inconvenience for most of us, but can cause serious complications in people with conditions like asthma and [chronic lung disease]," said lead researcher Ed Tate in a statement. "A drug like this could be extremely beneficial if given early in infection, and we are working on making a version that could be inhaled, so that it gets to the lungs quickly."
"The common cold is an inconvenience for most of us, but can cause serious complications in people with conditions like asthma and [chronic lung disease]," said lead researcher Ed Tate in a statement. "A drug like this could be extremely beneficial if given early in infection, and we are working on making a version that could be inhaled, so that it gets to the lungs quickly."
Solution (Score:3)
"A drug like this could be extremely beneficial if given early in infection, and we are working on making a version that could be inhaled, so that it gets to the lungs quickly."
Just spray all the big cities with crop dusters. What could possibly go wrong?
Re:Solution (Score:4, Funny)
Back in the 1980's, eradicating a fruit fly infestation here in California was all the rage. Towards that goal, then-Governor Jerry Brown backed a program to spray malathion from helicopters, at night, over the affected areas. When complaints rose over people being poisoned, they tried to minimize the dangers by pointing out how diluted the spray was. Brown's head of the program, B.T. Collins, on TV, drank a glass of the spray mixture. Literally. Something about proving how safe it was. It was totally worth it to see him, after drinking it, bending over and wretching, live on TV.
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Brown's head of the program, B.T. Collins, on TV, drank a glass of the spray mixture.
That reminds me of a British politician when Mad Cow disease was epidemic in England. He stuffed a hamburger into his own toddler's face live on TV, to show how "safe" Mad Cow British Beef was.
I'd like to hear a follow-up on how the child turned out.
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He lives in a pineapple under the sea.
Spongebrain Squarepants!
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Can EditorDavid... edit? (Score:1)
Clickbaity titles are clickbait. Asking your readers to supply the answer you're supposed to give yourself is very much clickbait.
It'll probably stop the common cold for one season (Score:4, Insightful)
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We are very close on polio. It's holding on, mostly due to inaccessible areas acting as reservoirs, but those areas shrink each year. Making good progress on guinea worm too.
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It's easy to win a race (Score:2)
They'll say it causes autism (Score:2, Funny)
Whatch the anti-vaxer-like morons who'll soon claim that this causes autism. There will be lectures, a youtube channel, a patreon account, and they'll make a fortune once again with the stupidity of the general population.
No. (Score:5, Insightful)
How do people not know Mr. Betteridge by now?
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How do people not know Mr. Betteridge by now?
Well you see, years ago, there was this crazy plan to spray a certain compound over towns to eradicate this common but fairly minor public health threat. But they didn't do enough testing of the compound or it's long-term health effects without going forward...
Mutate away from danger? (Score:2)
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Mutate its way away from danger? How does that work?
Lamarckian Evolution.
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Epigenetic changes. FTFY.
Question headlines are poor style. ????? (Score:3)
Question headlines contribute to the normalization of clickbait and many people instantly distrust them
Just tell us please
Hate question headlines? (Score:2)
Want to kill question headlines forever?
Click here!! [rsf.org]
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I've found just keeping my hands away from my face has worked well for not getting sick.
Vitamin C (Score:1)
I'm in the Linus Pauling camp of ingesting what some people would consider massive amounts of vitamin C to prevent or ameliorate symptoms of viral ailments. I swear by it based on my own experience. Your mileage may vary and I'd recommend researching the issue before deciding if it's something you should try.
And yes, I'm aware that some people consider him a quack but I'm not here to debate the issue, just sharing what has worked for me.
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And yes, I'm aware that some people consider him a quack but I'm not here to debate the issue, just sharing what has worked for me.
This is an anti-science position. If we all took this "it worked for me" position, we'd still be using leaches, bloodletting, and drilling holes in our heads. We need evidence to support conclusions.
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I would tend to agree with you had that been the only source of information I have, but it isn't.
I'll give you two analogies and see if you can noodle out where I'm coming from. I'm guessing you probably can't, but here goes.
* It is my experience that antibiotics are helpful to take in the case of bacterial infection.
* It is my experience that after throwing a heavy object in the air it reaches a maximum height then reverses course and returns to earth.
Aside from my own experience, I have other reasons to
Quarantine (Score:1)
Could the common cold and influenza be eradicated if everyone on earth just spent a week quarantining themselves?
Or do the viruses move among animal populations as well?
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Could the common cold and influenza be eradicated if everyone on earth just spent a week quarantining themselves?
Or do the viruses move among animal populations as well?
That a couple of the biggest flu strains are called "bird flu", what do you think?
A big problem is that many viral diseases are endemic to animal populations, and require minimal mutations that happen all the time[*] to jump to humans. They never survive long in humans, because they are too aggressive - both killing the host and being killed by the host is bad from the virus' perspective. Being able to infect and spread without doing much damage to the host is a much better survival mechanism, and what ha
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In part due to the rapid reproduction cycle, and in part because viruses lack the DNA repair mechanisms that more advanced species have.
And in part because when a host is simultaneously infected with two related viruses, the processes called "reassortment" can produce a new virus with genetic material from both "parent" strains. If the combination is, say, a particularly virulent toxin or toxic effect from one parent and an infection protein or protein-network component(s) that enable(s) infection of human
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This was covered by Randall Monroe in his 'What If' series. Conclusion: immunocompromised people remain reservoirs of pathogens, since it takes longer than a week for them to eliminate the infection.
We could probably quarantine those people longer, but that'd include the elderly and infants, and there are members of both groups that can't care for themselves for a few weeks. HIV-positive people might end up in permanent quarantine...
we already have a cure (Score:4, Informative)
Re: we already have a cure (Score:2)
Re: we already have a cure (Score:2)
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It's think it's quite well-known that things just aren't this simple.
1) The common cold is really several hundred different types of the same thing. You can't cure them all, and if you try, another few will pop up.
2) Though the summary mention asthmatics, etc., the common cold is pretty much not worth treating. Go away, take some tissue, it'll be gone in a day or so. Thus treating it is really a waste of time.
3) Almost all cold remedies are "over the counter", not "prescription". It's just not worth tre
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While it varies a lot (as you said, hundreds of types), the average cold lasts a heck of a lot longer than a day.
And while you're usually contagious before you even know you're sick, so it's not really possible to ever avoid infecting other people, if you go to work while you have a cold, you're a flat out asshole. Some people are not as healthy and risk serious issues if the
Missed opportunity (Score:2)
My Mother is 75 years old and has never had a cold. These people should be poking and prodding her. And if she exists then surely she isn't the only person with this resistance out there.
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Well, I guess that is one way as well.
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I'm sure she had something hot happen to her. Not something cold.
Not "the common cold." (Score:2)
Just "a" common cold. There are a lot of viruses that can cause the common cold, but as they are essentially identical in symptoms and treatment*, they all get lumped together.
*ie, there isn't one.
Leave it alone! (Score:2)
Nothing wrong with the common cold, why muck about with dodgy ways to stop something that's harmless?
Microbiome (Score:2)