Observations on the incidence and distribution of the common cold in a rural community during 1948 and 1949

Abstract

By means of weekly house-to-house visits, the occurrence of colds was studied in a Wiltshire village. Schoolchildren had about 3 times as many colds as adults not living with children. Children approx. doubled the no. of colds in adults and infants in their households. Children acquired infections outside the house about 3 times as frequently as did the adults. Infants were more than twice as susceptible to cross-infection within the household. The risk of cross-infection by exposure within a household was about 1/5.