The common cold is caused by various viruses, with an incubation period of one to ten days. Symptoms vary in severity and duration, and a person is most contagious during the first 72 hours.
A cold is an upper respiratory infection caused by a virus called rhinovirus. The incubation period for common cold varies greatly from one person to another. Symptoms can appear within hours to up to 10 days after exposure. The average incubation period is one to three days. Medications do not affect the incubation of a cold, nor do they eradicate it unless it is accompanied by a bacterial infection.
Scientists believe that more than 100 variations of rhinoviruses are present in human populations. Some estimate more than 200 types of viruses. The most common is the corona virus, although adenoviruses, echoviruses, enteroviruses, and respiratory syncytial viruses are also common. Each of these viruses causes different symptoms and severity of infection and require different incubation periods.
The breadth of virus types makes it difficult to pinpoint an exact common cold incubation period. Each variation of the rhinovirus presents with different symptoms in varying degrees. Some viruses are aggressive, resulting in a short incubation period in cold weather. Other viruses are less aggressive and take longer to show telltale symptoms such as a heavy cough, congestion, or fever.
Individual immune system function is also a factor in the incubation of the common cold. A person exposed to a cold virus may test positive for the infection without having symptoms for several days. Other individuals start sneezing, coughing or running a fever in less than 24 hours. The same individual can experience different incubation periods, depending on the state of his immune system at the time of exposure and the type of virus involved.
In addition to affecting the incubation of the common cold, the type of virus and individual immune system function also contribute to the duration and severity of a cold. The average cold lasts one to two weeks. Symptoms typically begin with a runny nose or mild congestion, a sore throat, or a mild cough. As a cold progresses, body and muscle aches, fever, and fatigue become prominent symptoms. Symptoms of congestion, cough and sore throat increase in severity.
A person or child catches a cold easily from others, regardless of the specific virus in question. Simply breathing in airborne germs or touching contaminated surfaces around another person who has a cold presents the opportunity for exposure. Beyond the common cold incubation and the duration of infection, the most common question regarding colds is how long a person is contagious. Experts estimate that an infected person is most contagious during the first 72 hours. After the first week, the risk of spreading the infection is minimal.
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