Chapter 1
Meet the microscopic hijackers
Chapter 2
Why winter is virus prime time
Chapter 3
Your body's brilliant defenses
Chapter 4
The shape-shifters and the missing cure
YOUR GOAL
Master of Inside the microscopic battle for your nose
Ch 1 · Meet the microscopic hijackers
doctorx These tiny aerosols remain suspended in indoor air for hours, allowing cold and flu viruses to spread through
Fun Fact
Virus survival: Rhinovirus can survive on indoor surfaces like doorknobs for up to 24 hours while remaining infectious.
Glossary
virus (noun)
An infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism. Approximately 500 million rhinoviruses can fit on the head of a single pin.
An infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism. Approximately 500 million rhinoviruses can fit on the head of a single pin.
Quiz
How long can a common cold virus remain active on hard indoor surfaces like plastic or steel?
Quiz
What percentage of common colds are caused by the highly adaptable rhinovirus family?
Quiz
On average, how many times per hour do humans touch their own faces, creating an infection highway?
Quiz
Which primary organ system do both cold and flu viruses target for their replication?
Quiz
What is the main physical vehicle that carries viruses from an infected person's cough into the air?
Quiz
Which protein spike does the influenza virus use to unlock and enter human respiratory cells?