Cited by 1,067Respiratory viral infections researchViral Infections and Immunology ResearchPediatric health and respiratory diseases

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 155 of the 159 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; 3 of the 185 sources its claims cite were checked for support.

The common cold

Open access

Abstract

Summary Despite great advances in medicine, the common cold continues to be a great burden on society in terms of human suffering and economic losses. Of the several viruses that cause the disease, the role of rhinoviruses is most prominent. About a quarter of all colds are still without proven cause, and the recent discovery of human metapneumovirus suggests that other viruses could remain undiscovered. Research into the inflammatory mechanisms of the common cold has elucidated the complexity of the virus-host relation. Increasing evidence is also available for the central role of viruses in predisposing to complications. New antivirals for the treatment of colds are being developed, but optimum use of these agents would require rapid detection of the specific virus causing the infection. Although vaccines against many respiratory viruses could also become available, the ultimate prevention of the common cold seems to remain a distant aim.

Overview

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

The common cold is a heterogeneous, usually self-limited viral upper respiratory illness caused predominantly by rhinoviruses, with substantial economic and clinical burden. This 2003 Lancet seminar reviews its virology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, emphasizing that about 20–30% of colds still lack a proven viral cause and that universal treatment or prevention remains distant.

Key findings

  • Rhinoviruses are the most common cause across age groups: they account for about 30–50% of all respiratory illnesses yearly and up to 80% of upper respiratory infections during the autumn peak; more than 100 serotypes exist.
  • About 20–30% of colds remain without a proven viral cause, and two or more viruses are found simultaneously in about 5% of cold patients; human metapneumovirus was recently discovered and may indicate other undiscovered respiratory viruses.
  • Incidence is inversely proportional to age: children average 6–8 colds per year and adults 2–4; mean cold duration is 7–10 days. Acute otitis media occurs in about 20% of children with viral upper respiratory infections, and sinusitis is estimated as a complication in 0·5–2% of colds.
  • No universal effective treatment exists. Influenza antivirals zanamivir and oseltamivir reduce illness duration by 1–2 days when started within 48 h; pleconaril started within 24–36 h reduces duration by 1–1·5 days. Prospects for a rhinovirus vaccine seem poor because of serotype diversity.

Methods

  • Narrative review/seminar; no primary data collection or new patient sample.
  • Data were identified by computer-aided searches of PubMed and the Cochrane Library, plus journal reference lists, standard textbooks, existing knowledge, and new data from international scientific meetings.
  • Reports were selected for substantial contribution to current knowledge; the main analysis is a narrative synthesis by topic, with no formal meta-analysis or quantitative pooling.

Limitations

  • The paper does not include a formal limitations section; it states that about 20–30% of colds lack a proven viral cause, that PCR is still too laborious for everyday clinical practice, and that data are scarce on some topics (e.g., coronavirus role, optimum sampling methods, zinc efficacy).
  • Evident: as a narrative review, report selection was not systematic (“selected reports that… have contributed substantially”), and no quantitative synthesis is performed.
  • Evident: the review is time-bound to literature available by 2003, as indicated by its “Future considerations” section and reliance on then-current diagnostic and antiviral developments.

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1016/s0140-6736(03)12162-9

Cites

155 of 155 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Verification

Claims the paper makes

112 Not checked yet · 11 Own interpretation · 2 Partly supported · 1 Supported so far · 1 No basis given · accuracy not yet measured

Verify all 182 references — free account

Show all 80 claims

  • Probably not a substantial claim. 16
  • It may state two separate claims as one. 38
47 of 47
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The common cold is usually a self-limited illness confined to the upper respiratory tract.

    “The common cold is usually a self-limited illness confined to the upper respiratory tract.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Antibiotics are not effective against viruses.

    “Although antibiotics are not effective against viruses, they are widely used in the treatment of uncomplicated viral upper respiratory infections.2, 109”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The occurrence of the common cold shows clear seasonality.

    “The occurrence of the common cold shows clear seasonality.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Transmission of viruses that cause upper respiratory infections can occur by hand contact, small-particle aerosols, or direct hit by large-particle aerosols.

    “The transmission of viruses that cause upper respiratory infections can occur by any of the three major mechanisms: 1) hand contact with secretions that contain the virus, either directly from an infected person or indirectly from environmental surfaces; 2) small-particle aerosols lingering in the air for an extended time; or 3) direct hit by large-particle aerosols from an infected person.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The pathogenesis of the common cold involves a complex interplay between replicating viruses and the host's inflammatory response.

    “The pathogenesis of the common cold involves a complex interplay between replicating viruses and the host's inflammatory response.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Antibiotics are ineffective in the treatment of uncomplicated colds.

    “In this era of ever-increasing antimicrobial resistance of bacteria, efforts aimed at the education of people about the ineffectiveness of antibiotics in the treatment of uncomplicated colds should be intensified.”
6 of 6

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Citations

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Metadata

Authors
Heikkinen, T., & Järvinen, A.
Affiliations
  • Turku University Hospital (FI)
  • Helsinki University Hospital (FI)
Corresponding author
Heikkinen, Terho
Venue
The Lancet
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2003-01
Volume
361
Issue
9351
Pages
51-59
ISSN
  • 0099-5355 (ISSN-L)
  • 0140-6736
OpenAlex
W2153771979
Cited by
1,067
References
159
Citations by year
2026: 44 · 2025: 49 · 2024: 54 · 2023: 67 · 2022: 82 · 2021: 66 · 2020: 99 · 2019: 47 · 2018: 42 · 2017: 47 · 2016: 43 · 2015: 52 · 2014: 42 · 2013: 43 · 2012: 38
FWCI
4.20
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • The Lancet (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Respiratory viral infections research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › Viral Infections and Immunology Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Pediatric health and respiratory diseases
Keywords
common cold, rhinovirus, human metapneumovirus, respiratory viruses, host-virus interaction, inflammation, antiviral agents, virus detection, economic burden
MeSH terms
Adult, Antiviral Agents, Child, Common Cold, Female, Humans, Infant, Male, Respiratory Tract Diseases, Seasons, Incidence, Age Distribution

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Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

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