As someone that does not get sick very often with more serious infections such as the flu, strep throat, pneumonia, or even sinus infections, the common cold always seems to love my body. As stated by the CDC, the common cold, most often caused by the rhinovirus, is one of the most common infections worldwide ranging around millions of cases each year in women, men, and especially children. Common symptoms of the common cold are runny nose, sore throat, coughing, sneezing, or headaches (similar to the flu). The common cold differs from the flu in that the flu symptoms are often more severe including fever. There is no vaccine or cure for this viral infection, but the body generally resolves this infection on its own. The CDC describes that the number one way to prevent yourself from getting this infection is to wash your hands often with soap and water. Due to children being less prone to washing their hands, they get this infection more often than adults.
While it has been said that there is no cure for the common cold, just recently as of March 1, 2019, a Swedish study was published by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society where an enzyme mouth spray has been tested to shorten duration of the cold. This enzyme spray called ColdZyme is an oral spray that contains a proteolytic enzyme to reduce the effects of sore throat, nose congestion, and headache. The study performed included 267 participants all with the common cold and were randomly assigned to use the ColdZyme spray 6 times daily. The results showed that the ColdZyme-treated group experienced lower symptoms, had better quality-of-life scores, and the duration was shorter. In-vitro research with this spray showed that it can inactivate 99% of viruses that cause the common cold. This spray is sold in pharmacies in numerous countries in Europe but is not sold in the United States.
As someone who is convinced she has had the common cold for 2 months now, a treatment like this really interests me. I consistently have a runny nose, sore throat, and sneeze sometimes to the point where I cannot speak normally anymore. A treatment like ColdZyme could potentially provide me with relief that I cannot find from any other medication currently in the market. As with any treatment, there could be potential side effects not stated in this article and there is no telling whether the FDA will approve this treatment or not. But I will hold on to hope that one day something will help me not have to blow my nose a million times a day.
Vaccine Culture 