UW Med: Study findings may help explain why we keep getting colds

UW lead investigator Stephanie Goya

Just when we think we've dodged the colds that are going around, a scratchy throat or runny nose tells us we're in for minor misery. 

A new study might explain the strategy that the rhinovirus — the most common cause of the common cold — uses to increase its chances of infecting someone.

According to University of Washington School of Medicine research, the rhinovirus shows up with many versions of itself.

It's a way for this cold virus to overcome your defenses with sheer numbers in case you might be susceptible to one version instead of another.

With viruses like SARS-CoV-2 or influenza, one variant will dominate for a while and then another takes over, and it, in turn, is replaced by another variant. The rhinovirus, on the other hand, appears to have many discrete variants circulating in the community at the same time.

The lead researcher was Stephanie Goya, a postdoctoral scientist in laboratory medicine and pathology at UW Medicine. The senior researcher was Dr. Alex Greninger, a UW Medicine clinical virologist.

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