health

No exact statistics are kept on the number of colds each year
in the United States or in any other country because the illness
is so common and many people take care of their symptoms
at home. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates
that people in the United States suffer about 1 billion colds every year;
children lose between 22 and 189 million school days in an average year,
and theirparents lose 126 million work days to stay home and take care of
them.Other employees miss an average of 150 million work days every year
because of colds. The total impact of colds on the American economy
comes to an estimated $20 billion per year.
Colds are equally common in people of all races and ethnic groups.
Some studies indicate that boys younger than three are more likely than
girls to get colds in day care settings; however, in older children and
adults, males and females are equally likely to get colds. In terms of age,
children get colds more frequently than adults. Children average three to
eight colds every year, and parents frequently get colds from their children.
Colds become less frequent in later life, however; on average,
people over sixty have less than one cold a year.
Colds are more common in North America during the fall and
winter months, when children are in school and adults are spending
more time indoors. In tropical climates, colds are most common during
the rainy season, as humid conditions increase the viruses’ survival time
outside the human body.