There are three routes by which someone can catch a cold:

1. Touching a person who has infected droplets on their skin, for example, holding their hand, and then touching their own mouth, nose or eyes

2. Touching an object or surface contaminated by infected droplets, for instance, a tissue or worktop that has been sneezed over by an infectious individual, and then touching their own mouth, nose or eyes

3. Inhaling droplets of fluid that contain the virus, perhaps as a result of someone who is infected sneezing or coughing nearby.

This means that colds can spread quickly, particularly among people in close contact, for example children in a school or a group of work colleagues who share a small office. 

Cold germs can live on hands and surfaces for 24 hours so it’s important to know of simple steps that can help reduce the risk of spreading colds. These include frequently washing hands with warm water and soap, not sharing household items such as cups, keeping fingers away from the eyes and nose, and using tissues to trap droplets when sneezing or coughing and then throwing them away as quickly as possible.

Did you know?

Antibiotics are only effective against bacterial infections and colds are caused by viruses, so antibiotics should not be prescribed.