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A Common Cold Can Boot Out COVID

Summary by Cindy Olmstead

Scientists have discovered that simple common cold viruses are so strong they can literally boot COVID to the curb, leading them to wonder if this could be a cure for ending COVID.

A cold is most commonly caused by human rhinoviruses, which are highly transmissible. The team at the Centre for Virus Research in Glasgow used a replica — made out of the same type of cells — which duplicates the lining of human airways. They then infected it with rhinovirus and Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. When rhinovirus and Sars-CoV-2 were released at the same time, only rhinovirus was successful, and even when the Sars-CoV-2 was given a 24-hour start, rhinovirus halted its invasion of the airways.

Researchers have wondered how the virus that causes COVID-19 would play out in a virus-to-virus interaction, but over a year of social distancing has slowed the spread of all viruses and stymied study efforts.

"Vaccination, plus hygiene measures, plus the interactions between viruses could lower the incidence of Sars-CoV-2 heavily, but the maximum effect will come from vaccination," said researcher Dr. Pablo Murcia.

 

SOURCE: BBC News March 23, 2021