A cold today helps keep the COVID away

A recent bout of the common cold may be a defense against a COVID-19 infection.

A study that included the nasal swabs of more than 1,000 participants assessed whether infections with common respiratory viruses — including rhinovirus, the perpetrator of a cold — impacted later coronavirus infections. Having had a cold in the past month was linked to about half the risk of developing a SARS-CoV-2 infection compared with those who’d had a cold-free month, researchers…