The common cold is an illness that plagues many during the springtime season. According to LiveScience, “These dramatic temperature changes aren’t the direct cause of these illnesses. Rather, the temperature shifts permit a different group of viruses to flourish.”

The common cold is an illness caused by a common virus known as the rhinovirus, which is responsible for at least 50% of colds, according to WebMD. Rhinovirus is the most common virus, some other viruses include coronavirus, respiratory syncytial virus, influenza and parainfluenza.

The drastic change of weather can directly affect a person’s health. There is an estimated toll of one billion Americans having a cold each year. Symptoms of colds range from sore throats, runny nose, coughing, sneezing, headaches and body aches.

If you happen to be infected with the common cold there isn’t much you can do to alleviate it since there is no known cure for the illness, due to its lack of severity and its short presence in the human body. More so than anything the common cold causes discomfort for the infected individual.

The road to recovery may seem like a long way, but being affected by the common cold may be a blessing in disguise. Although you may be missing work while you’re away, you shouldn’t take this time to stress over the missed work. Taking a sick day is alright, your body needs time to build up its immune system again, stress will only slow down the healing process.

Although the virus thrives during this season there are ways to prevent spreading the disease to others, such as avoiding contact with others, disinfecting frequently touched surfaces and objects, and staying at home while sick.

The final tip most students find difficult is due to parents disapproving the missed school days that comes with a slight cough or sneeze, which leads to an outbreak of the common cold throughout schools.

Sophomore Rachel Javier faces many absences due to her sickness.

“My parents aren’t upset about me missing school when I’m sick, but only disapprove of my absence when my grades are bad,” Javier said.

Bringing awareness to parents is key in keeping the common cold out of schools.