Is it common cold or Omicron? Take precautions wisely

Common cold usually occurs during the fall and winter season. Rhinoviruses are the most common cause of the common cold. It usually causes upper respiratory tract infection but sometimes can proceed into lower respiratory tract infection. Today, as the COVID-19 ‘Omicron’ variant comes with cold-like symptoms of runny nose, headaches, sneezing, sore throat, body aches, cough, fatigue with fever, it is prudent first to rule out Omicron infection by doing a home Rapid Antigen Test or gold standard RT-PCR test. If positive, one should be treated accordingly.

Once Omicron is ruled out, you can be treated for the common cold. Diagnosis of common cold is usually done through history and physical examination. No aggressive workup is required. The Rhinovirus infections are usually mild and self-limiting. Children are affected more than adults due to their developing (immature) immune systems. The virus is spread easily through droplets that are coughed or sneezed by an infected person and from fomites. The incubation period is usually three days before the symptoms develop and usually last for a week to ten days.

The common symptoms are:

• Nasal dryness and irritation

• Watery nasal discharge, sneezing and nasal congestion

• Nasal secretion may get thick and turn yellow or green in colour

• Irritation of throat or sore throat

• Watery and itchy eyes

• Mild cough

• Low-grade fever with chills

• Headache and generalised malaise, body aches

• Facial and ear fullness or pain

Management is usually symptomatic, with:

• Rest and plenty of fluids

• Good nutrition

• Nasal decongestant and antihistamines, as prescribed by the doctor

• Cough suppressant, as prescribed by the doctor

• Analgesic and antipyretic medication, as prescribed by the doctor

• Antibacterial agents are not effective unless there is superadded bacterial infection

• Petroleum jelly for chapped skin around nose and lips

Complications:

The common cold should not lead to Rhinosinusitis where the nasal secretions turn yellow to dark green, causing facial pain and thick postnasal discharge.

• One should avoid blowing nose or sniffing hard as it may lead to ascending infection into the middle ear space causing Acute Otitis Media (AOM) which causes severe ear pain and sometimes eardrum perforation and discharge

• Tender and swollen neck glands

• It can also lead to exacerbation of reactive airway disease in children and adults

• It may also cause Bronchitis and other infection like Pneumonia.

Prevention

As the disease is contagious and spreads by hand-to-hand contact and airborne droplets, it is important to emphasise on appropriate measures:

• Handwashing with soap

• Avoidance of finger – eye – nose contact

• Use of tissue while sneezing, coughing and discarding the tissue immediately

• Avoid crowded areas and rest at home

Key points of the common cold:

• It is a viral infection causing inflammation of nasal and throat mucus membrane

• It is a contagious disease and which spreads from air droplets through the infected person’s cough or sneeze

• Symptoms comprise of runny nose, sore throat, itching, watery eyes, malaise, headaches, and body aches

• It is a self-limiting disease and treated symptomatically; antibiotics won’t work

• Best way to prevent is frequent hand washing and avoiding crowded areas

(The author is an ENT surgeon at Fortis Hospital, Mulund)