The
common cold (also known as
nasopharyngitis,
rhinopharyngitis,
acute coryza,
head cold, or simply a
cold) is a viral
infectious disease of the
upper respiratory tract that primarily affects the nose. Signs and symptoms include
coughing,
sore throat,
runny nose,
sneezing, and
fever which usually resolve in seven to ten days, with some symptoms lasting up to three weeks. Well over 200 virus strains are implicated in the cause of the common cold; the
rhinoviruses are the most common.