Korean Job Discussion Forums

[princess]

Can someone have a cold say on March 30th, and then have one again on April 13th? Just wondering.

[JMO]

Its probably the same one.

[friendoken]

Colds are caused by viruses. Everytime you catch a cold you develop an antibody to that specific virus, therefore you can never catch the same cold (virus) twice. Thus, every cold you catch is a new virus. As there are 1000's of viruses, you can potentially catch 1000's of different colds.

To answer your question, yes you can catch two different colds that close together so long as you have been exposed to two different viruses, and no, it is not the same cold.

[Miles Rationis]

In Korea you can catch a different cold every week!

[JMO]

[friendoken]

[Kuros]

I believe there are around 300 some strains of the common cold or flu. And the strains running around Korea are probably ones to which you are unaccustomed. Additionally, you are working with children (who will sneeze directly on you), which makes things worse.

So, it could be a different strain of cold. Or it could be the same one. I'm not a doctor.

[mnhnhyouh]

I was told that many people new to Korea will have a series of colds lasting for weeks when they first get here and then very few. That was my experience as well. I had a number over the first 6 weeks.

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[Underwaterbob]

I thought colds were caused by bacteria and the flu was a virus. I'm really not sure why I think that though, it's like some long lost memory that's poking it's way through my brain. I could be wrong.

But yeah, like someone else said I'm pretty sure you can technically catch more than one at the same time as far as frequency is concerned.

[Miles Rationis]

[Underwaterbob]

I kind of thought I was wrong. It was just one of those weird nagging half-memories that I couldn't ignore properly.

[cangel]

I get mildly sick but never really sick. Knock on wood, I have a terrific immune system. I have not missed a day of work due to illness or injury in over 15 years.

[Underwaterbob]

I hadn't been sick for close to six years until I came to Korea then I caught everything in the book. Now it has again been at least a year since the last time I was sick.