Is it true what they say???

Question

When you catch a cold/virus once you'll never get it again because your body had built up immunity to it? I heard that somewhere and wanted to know if it true or not. Thank you everybody. I've got a killer cold by the way....it sucks!!

Answer 1

You will be immune to that particular mutation of the virus. There will be millions more to come toward you. Studys show that zinc products reduce the length and reduce the severity of the cold, but it must be taken on first onset of symptoms...good news for next time.

Hope you feel better soon!

Answer 2

It is and it isn't true. A cold is a virus and there are over a hundred different strains of the cold virus. Unlike the chicken pox where you should only get it once because your immune system has built immunities to it and will know how to fight it. A cold virus will not always be the same virus that you may have gotten in your last cold. Therefore, your immune system does not have the same immunities built up and has to find a new way to fight it. This is also part of why there is not a vaccine for the common cold, there would have to be a vaccine for each strain.

Answer 3

It's true in a way...

First talking about colds... colds are a type of virus. It's true that your body builds up an immunity to it. That means that you shouldn't catch that strain of the common cold more than once, since you will have the antibodies for it. However, the cold virus mutates very fast and there are a very large number of different "mutatation" of the cold. So the cold you had this year is probably different than the cold you had last year, and your immune system won't be able to prevent it.

There are other viruses that act different. If it's herpes or HIV, your immune system won't be able to get rid of it, but thos are STDs.

Answer 4

It is true for some viruses and not others. It is true that when you have an infection, your body makes cells to fight off the infection. Once the infection is gone, the cells stick around in the form of memory cells and are ready when you face that virus again. This is why you can't get chickenpox twice, for example. However, it's not true for some common viruses because there are tiny differences between the viruses that make a million different kinds, so your body doesn't have the immunity built up for all of them. That's true for any virus you don't have permanent immunity too, like colds and flu (that's also why the flu vaccine changes every year - different variations in viruses!)

Answer 5

Yes, it is true in a particular way. You see, there are many cold virus strains (most of them fall under the Rhino Virus classification). You may never get the same cold again; however, you can get a cold again because of all the different nasty strains out there; furthermore, the cold virus has another nasty trait- it can mutate into new strains! Just like the flu, it changes and adapts to form new cold and flu viruses to infect you again. Although you may never catch the same cold again, you can catch another cold because of the above abilities that this horrible virus has!

Answer 6

Registered Nurse here; Well in some virus this is true, while with others it's untrue. First a cold is a virus or bacteria, and can be caught over and over and over. However, once you have had say for instance mumps, measles, chicken pox, all virus you can not catch them again. Clear as mud I know, but this is the facts, just depends. Stomach virus with nausea and vomiting, one can catch it over and over again. It mutates so quickly the body's immune system doesn't have a chance to build up antibodies against it. So sorry to hear, you have a really bad cold, but odds are about 100%, you will have another one.
Thanks for the opportunity to address this most interesting question.

Answer 7

It is true that you will never suffer from the same particular strain of the flu or a cold twice. However, viruses are constantly changing and the amount of different forms of these common ailments is almost uncountable! As long as you have a normal immune system, your body will build antibodies against each strain and if you are exposed to it again, the antibodies will already be there to fight it off before you ever have any symptoms.

Answer 8

If you catch a virus...you have it with you forever. You cant get rid of it. Think about this --> Herpes is a virus, weather its on your privates or your mouth...its there. It will flare up and you will be in pain!

And if you catch a cold once...then, no one should ever catch a cold ever in their lives after the first time they get it-but I just got rid of a cold a few weeks ago...and you have one now and I know it cant be your first. They change, so its not the same exact one-virus' are like cockroaches....they'll survive anything.

Use Ziacam to get rid of your cold-it really works well, its homeopathic, over the counter. Get the nasal gel-point it up into the tip of your nose-each pump is one nostril. Leave it there for about 30 seconds, give it a squeeze or 10 to make sure its saturated your nasal area-dont sniff it up. Thats not what its meant for. Then blow your nose. It helps kill the junk in your nose where the cold lives and I swear, it makes the cold go away faster. I carry it in my purse. My husband has one in his work drawer-he travels a lot and keeps the cold away.

Feel better and dont believe everything you hear...except from me! Ha Ha!

Answer 9

Its completly true your never gonna get the same cold/virus twice you have anti-bodies to fight it off before it gets bad. But they mutate fast so you could catch another starin of it.

Answer 10

Not the common cold...it leaves you with nothing but red nose. Flu can leave you with a short immunity to that flu virus But if another strain comes along that you haven't had or been vaccinated against, you sure can catch it.