Some colds are like mice, timid and annoying; others like dragons, accompanied by body aches and deep misery.
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In Ah-Choo!,
Jennifer Ackerman explains what, exactly, a cold is, how it works, and
whether it's really possible to "fight one off." Scientists call this
the Golden Age of the Common Cold because Americans suffer up to a
billion colds each year, resulting in 40 million days of missed work
and school and 100 million doctor visits. They've also learned over the
past decade much more about what cold viruses are, what they do to the
human body, and how symptoms can be addressed. . |
In this ode to the odious cold, Ackerman sifts through the chatter
about treatments-what works, what doesn't, and what can't hurt. She
dispels myths, such as susceptibility to colds reflects a weakened
immune system. And she tracks current research, including work at the
University of Virginia at Charlottesville, a world-renowned center of
cold research studies, where the search for a cure continues.
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Ah-Choo!
The Uncommon Life of Your Common Cold
by Jennifer Ackerman
Twelve, 2010
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a copy
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