Colds and flu at a glance

Colds and Flu - facts in common

• Colds and flu cannot be helped with antibiotics. They are both viral infections.
• Each time someone catches a cold or flu they develop an immunity to that viral strain.
• Colds and flu must run their course. The best approach is for people to minimise the their symptoms at an early stage and allow their bodies to fight the infection.
• People with a cold or flu are at their most contagious in the early stages, before their bodies' defences have begun to beat the infection.
• There are more cases of colds and flu in the winter months not because the cold makes our bodies more prone to infections but because people tend to spend more time together indoors. Viruses get trapped in the moist humid air - an ideal environment for them to thrive in. They are then breathed in, spreading easily from person to person.