Corona viruses: reaching far beyond the common cold

ENSO’s far reaching connection to Indian cold waves

During boreal winters, cold waves over India are primarily due to transport of cold air from higher latitudes. However, the processes associated with these cold waves are not yet clearly understood. Here by diagnosing a suite of datasets, we explore the mechanisms leading to the development and maintenance of these cold waves. Two types of cold waves are identified based on observed minimum sur...

Viruses and bacteria in the etiology of the common cold.

Two hundred young adults with common colds were studied during a 10-month period. Virus culture, antigen detection, PCR, and serology with paired samples were used to identify the infection. Viral etiology was established for 138 of the 200 patients (69%). Rhinoviruses were detected in 105 patients, coronavirus OC43 or 229E infection was detected in 17, influenza A or B virus was detected in 12...

The Taxonomic Position of Common Cold Viruses and Some Others

During recent years workers in several countries have isolated a number of "new" viruses from upper respiratory infections. For some of these viruses claims have been made that they cause common colds. Before accepting such claims it is well to be sure of two things: i) that the viruses can be recovered with reasonable frequency from typical common colds in adults; and ii) that they will reprod...

Asthma and the common cold: can viruses imitate worms?

Subtle mutation, far-reaching effects

In the 1980s, medical research set its focus more and more on molecular aspects of diseases, and it was not long until an individual mutation in a single protein species was found to cause the complete phenotype of a disease. Unsurprisingly, ion channels were among those culprits. Significant public attention was aroused when mutations in the (then appropriately named) cystic fibrosis transmemb...