How are people catching colds?

[Racoonworld]

I know some are through school, but what about those without school children? Surely if we can all catch colds even with social distancing we can catch Covid? And therefore what is the point of the restrictions?

I'm getting over a cold (no kids here) and was thinking the same. I don't recall seeing anyone with a cold so no idea where I caught it, and I've adhered to all the covid rules. I thought cold were less contagious than covid.

Because children spread cold like wildfire, but they dont spread covid as easily.

Because most colds are rhinoviruses and presumably they spread in a different way to coronaviruses?

otherwise, no idea!

Because viruses can live on surfaces for quite a few hours, so you can pick it up off shopping trolleys, public transport, hand rails, door handles, etc. They are also airborne, so someone walking in front of you and sneezing or coughing, can release virus-laden droplets into the air, which you then breathe in.

children? Surely if we can all catch colds even with social distancing we can catch Covid
Well these is no social distancing at DDs school, they’re doing what measures they can but SD is not possible - by year group but the year group is almost 200 children. The school Facebook page had lots of people talking about a horrible cold they’d all picked up in just the first few days at school. So if there’s a case of Covid presumably that will spread easily too (sixth form so not really in the category of children that supposedly don’t spread it). Either colds are way more contagious/differently contagious or we’re all stuffed.

Welcome to the world of airborne viruses - and there are many.

The primary form of transmission of Rhinoviruses is aerosol transmission, social distancing has minimal impact.

I suppose it’s that thing of people being asymptomatic - so you think you got it from thin air, but actually your dh had a cold but was symptom free. It explains why three people in a house can be ill and the fourth escapes. Actually they didn’t escape, just were symptom free.

Although dsis swears that she got a cold from her Christmas decorations box as when she had put them away the year before she had had a dreadful cold...

Children. I’ve had 3 colds since my DD went back to nursery in June. Also, I don’t know many people actually distancing very much.

But it is true that I have heard almost no one coughing when I have been out- really really almost no one. And not seen people with obvious symptoms eg. Sniffing, eyes watering.
In pre- Covid times it would be normal to see people everywhere with colds and coughs. And we were told that being outdoors rather than inside in poorly ventilated places, Catch it Kill it Bin it and handwashing helped avoid colds, as well as bleaching/wiping surfaces. We have all been doing a LOT more of that than normal, and going to places where that is happening.

I was wondering this too. I've been really poorly with some sort of viral thing. Had a test for covid but it's negative. I'm high risk so have had no contact with anyone other than DH and DS. DH uses public transport to get to work but wear an FFP3 mask so he's catching nothing there. But I'm still sick. It worries me because I think it means that when covid really hits this area I won't be able to stop being infected, it'll just be luck.

And yes, asymptomatic is also a thing. My MIL brought us a delightful cold the other week. Both my DD’s caught it & have coughed & sneezed in our faces for days. They’ve had horrible colds. Neither my OH or I appear to have caught it. I’ve got a very minor cough. But could be allergies of which I suffer loads. We’ve both felt tired & a bit run down but no cold symptoms at all. Our bodies def got a decent viral load but our immune systems just dealt with it!

This is partly why I don't trust in any "Covid safe" measures. At the end of the day it comes down to people being willing and able to protect others, with any virus. But people have always packed onto busy public transport and come into offices when they are ill, and not washed their hands etc. There's not much I can personally do to protect myself from catching something. While the prevalence of covid is low at the moment, it just takes one person to spread it around.

We are a family of 4 adults and have all had a cold, which was just sneezing and runny nose and lasted a couple of days, felt lousy first day and better by third day. We’ve not been around any children.