Welcome to Debate Club! Please be aware that this is a space for respectful debate, and that your ideas will be challenged here. Please remember to critique the argument, not the author.

Cure against cold

marcosroyce
marcosroyce Posts: 3 Member
edited December 23 in Debate Club
What are your thoughts on the best cures/treatment of the common cold and similar viruses?

I have just found out that a permanent cure or a vaccine can come out according to some experimental research: https://bit.ly/2kkCli5
«1

Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,458 Member
    That link looks suspicious to me. I'm not clicking on that.
  • puffbrat
    puffbrat Posts: 2,806 Member
    That link looks suspicious to me. I'm not clicking on that.

    Agreed.
  • marcosroyce
    marcosroyce Posts: 3 Member
    it's just a link to a website i shortened. here is the full link:
    https://howaboutthat.site/scientists-stop-common-cold-with-an-experimental-approach/
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    it's just a link to a website i shortened. here is the full link:
    https://howaboutthat.site/scientists-stop-common-cold-with-an-experimental-approach/

    Could you copy and paste the article?
  • thanos5
    thanos5 Posts: 513 Member
    edited September 2019
    "Imagine if we could live our lives without catching an annoying cold every once in a while, especially during the winter days. Well, we are one giant step closer to this. Scientists have been experimenting and trying to find a way to stop this kind of viruses from spreading among us. Eventually, they managed to find (an experimental) solution which would give “complete protection” from the common cold and other viruses.

    Most colds are caused by rhinoviruses, however, there are more than 160 different types which can mutate very easily. Because of that they can become resistant to drugs, or learn to “trick” the immune system. Therefore, researchers decided to find a different approach, namely to make our bodies inhospitable for the cold viruses.

    An individual virus cannot do much without a host. It basically infects other cells and steals some of the parts inside. One recent study managed to find one component which the viruses were dependent upon. There is a protein inside our cells called methyltransferase SETD3. Scientists used genetic modification experiments on human cells and mice, to “turn off” the instructions inside the DNA for the specific protein. After this gene-editing was done, the human cells and the mice were exposed to the common cold and even more dangerous viruses, but they were all completely resistant to them. This means that the disability of the body to produce the protein methyltransferase SETD3 caused a very strong reduction in viral replication.

    The mice used in the experiments remained healthy, despite lacking the protein for their whole lives. However, the authors of the study say that they are not ready for trials in people. The goal is not to produce genetically modified humans, but to find a drug which can temporarily suppress the protein, and provide protection. Further research needs to be done in order to find a chemical that will mimic the genetic deletion.

    While the common cold is nothing more than an inconvenience for the average person, it can be a real threat to asthmatics or other chronically ill people. Some of the enteroviruses can even cause paralysis if they spread to the brain, which is why we definitely need to find a cure."

    for those that have never seen a shortened link before...and/or care. seems to me they are going to break their necks with the stretching, but...there you go.
  • LyndaBSS
    LyndaBSS Posts: 6,964 Member
    Meh 😒
  • Howard_M_Burgerz
    Howard_M_Burgerz Posts: 61 Member

    The world has been looking at this for many decades. For the OP. Here is an interesting look at the progress so far .
    https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/oct/06/why-cant-we-cure-the-common-cold
  • SnifterPug
    SnifterPug Posts: 746 Member
    I swear by a nasal spray made by Vicks. Called First Defence in the UK. You have to have it on hand, because it is at its most effective the quicker you use it after getting the first symptoms. After 24 hours it's useless. But it has saved me from many a cold now, and I won't go anywhere without it.
  • fatmonsters
    fatmonsters Posts: 30 Member
    I used to get sick all the time. I got so sick one time that it was the thing that led me to cut back on drinking and lose weight. Interesting to me was that I just stopped getting sick after I lost a bunch of weight and got Healthy and avoided getting a cold all last year.
  • threewins
    threewins Posts: 1,455 Member
    If we're talking about unusual treatment for colds, I'd recommend a trip to South East Asia. That worked for me. Before I did my trip, I'd get a cold about 4 times a year. A year in the Philippines, I must have been getting one a month. Back in New Zealand, it all changed and I was getting one cold every 18 months. Who knows why. Whenever I go to SE Asia, I'm guaranteed to get a cold. Maybe a chest infection as well. Back in New Zealand, I can go a whole year without getting a cold.
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    threewins wrote: »
    If we're talking about unusual treatment for colds, I'd recommend a trip to South East Asia. That worked for me. Before I did my trip, I'd get a cold about 4 times a year. A year in the Philippines, I must have been getting one a month. Back in New Zealand, it all changed and I was getting one cold every 18 months. Who knows why. Whenever I go to SE Asia, I'm guaranteed to get a cold. Maybe a chest infection as well. Back in New Zealand, I can go a whole year without getting a cold.

    Maybe you were exposed to viruses not found in New Zealand YET.
  • rhtexasgal
    rhtexasgal Posts: 572 Member
    I have found that in the early stages of a cold, if I use hydrogen peroxide in my ears (hold in ear 5-10 minutes, drain and then do the other ear) and do it twice a day, the severity of the cold is lessened as well as the duration.
  • Mcwi3681
    Mcwi3681 Posts: 67 Member
    I take elderberry syrup and raw garlic at the first hint of a cold. Knocks it right out in no time. I try to just avoid getting sick in the first place by consistent hand washing.
  • thanos5
    thanos5 Posts: 513 Member
    i'll suck on a cold eze as soon as i feel a cold coming on. it doesn't prevent it but it makes it go away pretty quickly. but only if i take it at the first freaking inkling of having a cold.

    also, they taste horrible.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    I have found these to be excellent cold preventatives:
    1. Not touching my nose, eyes, or mouth with unwashed hands
    2. Not getting close enough to sick people that they can sneeze or cough on me

    This is always good - but does it mean the sick person takes the strong garlic home remedies to keep away the healthy?
    Or the healthy take it keep away the sick, or for that matter almost anyone which of course means less germ exposure too?
  • MySlimGoals
    MySlimGoals Posts: 754 Member
    I'm experiencing my second cold in a month. Doesn't help that both my flatmates have had colds. I wash my hands like crazy but it hasn't saved me from either. I lost my coat last week so had to go out in the cold without one for a couple of days before I purchased a new one. Ta-Dah - a recipe to catch my flatmates latest cold.
  • manderson27
    manderson27 Posts: 3,510 Member
    They may come up with a cure at some point but for the moment you can only treat the symptoms.

    My go to is Otrivine nasal spray. A couple of squirts and you no longer have a runny nose, can breathe easily so you can sleep and don't get a sore nose from constant wiping/blowing. Highly recomend this spray.

    The other, is of course good old Lemsip with dollop of honey.
  • iheartmyyorkie
    iheartmyyorkie Posts: 163 Member
    They may come up with a cure at some point but for the moment you can only treat the symptoms.

    My go to is Otrivine nasal spray. A couple of squirts and you no longer have a runny nose, can breathe easily so you can sleep and don't get a sore nose from constant wiping/blowing. Highly recomend this spray.

    The other, is of course good old Lemsip with dollop of honey.

    But I would never put a dollop of honey up my nose. :o
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    edited November 2019
    There's a startup here in Tucson that takes advantage of the history of this being a copper mining region. Turns out that from Ancient times, people drank water out of copper. Copper is a natural antibacterial substance. You touch it and it kills germs. They have this nasal stick made of pure copper and if you put it in your nose at the first sign of a cold, it's supposed to dramatically shorten it. Actually, I think it's the former head of the FDA that started the company. CopperZap I believe.

    I'm just starting to see NetiPots made of copper as well.
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    The best cure for a cold?

    About a week. ;)
  • knightreader
    knightreader Posts: 813 Member
    thanos5 wrote: »
    i'll suck on a cold eze as soon as i feel a cold coming on. it doesn't prevent it but it makes it go away pretty quickly. but only if i take it at the first freaking inkling of having a cold.

    also, they taste horrible.

    are you my mother?
  • Sunshine_And_Sand
    Sunshine_And_Sand Posts: 1,320 Member
    I spent about five years having a sinus infection more often than not with constant pressure in my forehead and face, and I got to the point of considering it normal to get a headache any time I hand to lean over or bend down.
    I finally bit the bullet and got sinus surgery. BEST medical treatment I ever did. Apparently it’s pretty common for people with chronic sinusitis to have mold in their sinuses as well as the drainage being super thick. My ENT describes it as peanut butter. 🤢
    Of course the surgery won’t prevent you from catching a cold, but it does allow for better drainage so that you don’t get as sick with them. I went from almost always having a sinus infection to 1-2 colds per year that were much milder than anything I got before the surgery. Also, if you have nasal polyps (I did and have grown a few new ones that are still really small), removing those so they don’t block drainage is another benefit of the sinus surgery.
    After having the sinus surgery, I am a firm believer in using a sinus rinse. The Netti Pot is the one most people are familiar with. The warm salt water is very soothing to the inflamed sinuses, I find it’s a lot more effective for removing drainage than just blowing your nose, and they claim it helps rinse out allergens.
  • ccrdragon
    ccrdragon Posts: 3,374 Member
    I spent about five years having a sinus infection more often than not with constant pressure in my forehead and face, and I got to the point of considering it normal to get a headache any time I hand to lean over or bend down.
    I finally bit the bullet and got sinus surgery. BEST medical treatment I ever did. Apparently it’s pretty common for people with chronic sinusitis to have mold in their sinuses as well as the drainage being super thick. My ENT describes it as peanut butter. 🤢
    Of course the surgery won’t prevent you from catching a cold, but it does allow for better drainage so that you don’t get as sick with them. I went from almost always having a sinus infection to 1-2 colds per year that were much milder than anything I got before the surgery. Also, if you have nasal polyps (I did and have grown a few new ones that are still really small), removing those so they don’t block drainage is another benefit of the sinus surgery.
    After having the sinus surgery, I am a firm believer in using a sinus rinse. The Netti Pot is the one most people are familiar with. The warm salt water is very soothing to the inflamed sinuses, I find it’s a lot more effective for removing drainage than just blowing your nose, and they claim it helps rinse out allergens.

    My only comment about the Netti Pot would be to be very careful about your water source. Can't find the article now, but there was a woman (I believe in Washington) who not using a pure water source in her Netti Pot and contracted brain-eating amoebas as a result...
  • Sunshine_And_Sand
    Sunshine_And_Sand Posts: 1,320 Member
    ccrdragon wrote: »
    I spent about five years having a sinus infection more often than not with constant pressure in my forehead and face, and I got to the point of considering it normal to get a headache any time I hand to lean over or bend down.
    I finally bit the bullet and got sinus surgery. BEST medical treatment I ever did. Apparently it’s pretty common for people with chronic sinusitis to have mold in their sinuses as well as the drainage being super thick. My ENT describes it as peanut butter. 🤢
    Of course the surgery won’t prevent you from catching a cold, but it does allow for better drainage so that you don’t get as sick with them. I went from almost always having a sinus infection to 1-2 colds per year that were much milder than anything I got before the surgery. Also, if you have nasal polyps (I did and have grown a few new ones that are still really small), removing those so they don’t block drainage is another benefit of the sinus surgery.
    After having the sinus surgery, I am a firm believer in using a sinus rinse. The Netti Pot is the one most people are familiar with. The warm salt water is very soothing to the inflamed sinuses, I find it’s a lot more effective for removing drainage than just blowing your nose, and they claim it helps rinse out allergens.

    My only comment about the Netti Pot would be to be very careful about your water source. Can't find the article now, but there was a woman (I believe in Washington) who not using a pure water source in her Netti Pot and contracted brain-eating amoebas as a result...

    Yes to the proper water source. The directions on the sinus rinse say to use distilled water, micro-filtered water (it specifies what size micron filter to use), commercially bottled water, or previously boiled and cooled water.
    Not sure I’d trust commercially bottled water though for me even though the package says it’s ok. I prefer to either use distilled water or boiled water after it’s cooled.
  • Legs_McGee23
    Legs_McGee23 Posts: 116 Member
    I haven't had a cold in six years. I'm pretty much the exact opposite of a germaphobe (drink out of stranger's beer? Sure! Wash my hands after going to the gym? Nah. Eat food that fell on the floor? No hesitation.) I think my immune system has been tried and tested and risen to the occasion.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    I haven't had a cold in six years. I'm pretty much the exact opposite of a germaphobe (drink out of stranger's beer? Sure! Wash my hands after going to the gym? Nah. Eat food that fell on the floor? No hesitation.) I think my immune system has been tried and tested and risen to the occasion.

    While there is some of that as a factor - there is also genetics. And age.
This discussion has been closed.