Misconceptions About the
Common Cold Are Common
Excerpt By Melissa Schorr, Reuters Health

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters Health) - When it comes to the common cold, 'common knowledge' may be lacking, Harvard researchers reported here at the annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. It seems that many families are mistaken in their beliefs about the way colds are caught and cured.

``There is a fair amount of misunderstanding in families about ways to prevent the transmission of viral diseases in the home,'' lead author Dr. Donald Goldmann, professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and medical director of infection control at Children's Hospital in Boston, told Reuters Health.

In a study, researchers led by Dr. Grace Lee surveyed 161 Massachusetts families of various economic backgrounds who had at least one child aged 6 months to 5 years enrolled in a day care, preschool or kindergarten.

The investigators found that 60% of parents erroneously believed that some colds were caused by bacteria and nearly half erroneously believed that things such as colds, bronchitis and green mucous should be treated with antibiotics. Colds are actually caused by viruses, and antibiotics and antibacterial lotions have no effect on them.

``A surprising percentage believed that bacteria caused colds,'' Goldmann noted Friday. ``If that's the model people have, then we're in trouble.''

Nearly half the parents also had erroneous beliefs about causes of colds, with 46% thinking colds could be caused by not wearing enough clothes, 57% thinking they could be caused by cold weather, and 37% thinking they could be caused by going outside with wet hair.

Goldmann noted that colds are more easily transmitted through contact with the nose and eyes more often than through the mouth. However, 90% of the parents focused preventive measures on issues such as sharing drinks or utensils, or kissing someone with a cold, while only three-quarters correctly thought shaking hands was a key culprit for catching a cold.

``People seem obsessed with sharing drinks with or kissing someone who has a cold, but they don't really think shaking hands with someone who has a cold is important, and that's very important,'' Goldmann said. ``So there's a misconception about how you actually acquire a cold.''

While 74% of the parents correctly knew that children can prevent catching someone else's cold by frequent hand washing, only 14% were familiar with using alcohol-based gels, which are more convenient than hand washing and, in some cases, more effective in killing germs.

``You can't run to the sink every time you touch your kid's runny nose,'' Goldmann noted. ``We would like to promote alcohol-based hand gels both for convenience and for efficacy, but very few families have them on their radar screen.''

Meanwhile, 50% of the parents thought antibacterial soaps are an effective mechanism, but these would be no more effective against catching a cold virus than washing with simply soap and water, he said.

The researchers plan to look at how ethnic and cultural factors may play a role in understanding about cold transmission. ``There needs to be public policy directed towards improving the attitudes and knowledge of families,'' Goldmann said.

The parents who answered the survey were 95% female and were, on average, 34 years old.

Reference Source 89

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