Colds and flu remain mysterious
 Scientists hope to learn more about how flu is transmitted |
One person in the office gets sick and it is not long before half the workforce has taken to their bed.
And all those Christmas parties probably aggravate the situation as we mix with more people than we usually would.
But how much do we actually know about how colds and flu spread - for example how many others does one cold sufferer infect?
Researchers are hoping a big-brother style experiment will provide some answers, at least where influenza is concerned.
Next year, Professor John Oxford, an expert in virology from Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry, in London, will lock volunteers in a hotel for a week, deliberately infect some with the flu virus, and wait to see what happens.
"To start with, we'll take 15 volunteers, with no immunity to the particular flu virus and infect five of them," he said.
"Using CCTV, we'll keep an eye on them and look for patterns of transmission."
It will be the first study looking at the spread of flu by directly infecting volunteers and sitting back to see what happens.
Pandemic planning
Knowing how easily flu can spread will help officials planning for pandemics, said Professor Oxford who is applying for government funding for the research.
"The second phase will be seeing if we can break the chain of transmission with things like hand-washing or wearing a hygiene mask."
 |  The problem is the common cold is not thought to be serious enough to investigate properly  Dr Douglas Fleming Royal College of General Practitioners |
It is certainly true that "coughs and sneezes spread diseases".
And it would also seem to make sense to stay away from work or school to avoid sharing the bugs around.
Knowledge gaps
But there are a fair few gaps in our knowledge when it comes to the common cold, says Dr Douglas Fleming, director of the Royal College of GPs Research Unit in Birmingham.
| COLDS AND FLU Colds and flu are both common respiratory illnesses caused by viruses Whereas there are hundreds of different types of cold viruses, flu is caused by the influenza virus of which there are three major types, A, B and C The influenza virus constantly changes its structure which is why a new vaccine has to be developed every year A cold lasts only two to four days and causes a stuffy or runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, cough, mild fever and tiredness Flu is more severe, can last a week or more and is associated with a high fever, chills, headache, intense muscle pains, exhaustion, loss of appetite, cough and sometimes a blocked nose and sore throat |
"Nearly everyone gets better so there isn't the attention given to it, but I think we should be trying to get to know much more about common respiratory infections."
For example, he said people might complain that colds seem to last longer than they used to but is that a sign of age or a sign of the changing nature of the cold virus.
"We don't have the facts - I can say I've never had a cough like that before but is it because you shake things off better in your youth.
"Whether people are having colds that last longer than they did years ago we simply don't know."
Surveillance
He said much of the lack of understanding around colds could be solved by more investment in surveillance.
It's not even entirely clear why we get more colds in winter.
| If you have got really horrible flu, the only thing to do is stay away from people - Professor Steve Field Royal College of General Practitioners |
Over, the past decade there has been much research into the structure of the cold virus with rhinovirus - one of the most common cold viruses - being the most understood.
This includes how it attaches to the lining of the nose to cause infection.
However, even with this information it is unlikely there will ever be a "cure" for the common cold for several reasons.
A cold is caused by many different viruses, by the time you know you have a cold it is probably too late to treat it, and as colds are fairly minor and self-limiting any side effects from medication, however minor, would probably not be worth the hassle.
Also there would be dangers of viruses becoming resistant to effective medications, rendering them useless, just as we are seeing with antibiotics.
So what do we know about colds?
Well according to the Common Cold Centre at Cardiff University, it has been estimated that adults suffer two to five colds per year, and school children may suffer seven to 10 colds per year.
Children to blame
Young children are mainly responsible for spreading common cold viruses and infection usually occurs at home or in the nursery or school.
The incubation period for a common cold is usually around two days before the symptoms begin and a person is most infectious when they are in the early stages of sneezing, runny nose and cough.
Professor Steve Field, chair of the Royal College of GPs said there is certainly a lot of cold and flu circulating this Christmas and it's hard to avoid catching one.
"We really need to try and encourage children and adults to use handkerchiefs and afterwards wash their hands, so if you're shaking people's hands and if you're in close contact you prevent passing it on.
"But if you have got really horrible flu, the only thing to do is stay away from people," he said.Warning over internet painkillers
 Celecoxib was one of the drugs found to be available online |
UK experts have warned of the dangers of purchasing drugs online in response to a study showing wide availability of strong painkillers over the internet.
A team at Edinburgh University found 35 websites selling prescription-only pain drugs to UK customers without requiring a prescription.
Government regulators warned that buying medicines online may have "deadly" consequences.
The results appear in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
By trawling for online pharmacy sites through Google and Yahoo search engines, the researchers found almost 100 selling medicines to UK consumers.
Almost half of those sold prescription-only painkillers but 76% did not require the customer to provide a valid prescription.
Six asked for a prescription but accepted a fax or email copy which the researchers said could be forged or modified.
Side-effects
The drugs available included opioids such as tramadol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, such as naproxen and celecoxib, commonly prescribed for conditions such as arthritis.
They can have severe side-effects and some should not be taken in conjunction with other medicines or in people with certain conditions, the researchers said.
| At best you will be wasting your money and at worst they could be deadly Spokeswoman, MHRA |
Co-proxamol - a drug which has been removed from the market in the UK due to concerns over the risk of overdose - was available from three websites.
The researchers did not take the final step of actually buying the medicines as they felt it would not be ethical.
Study author Professor David Webb, an expert in clinical pharmacology at the University of Edinburgh, said these were drugs that people should not be taking without advice from a doctor, but they were available with a couple of clicks of the mouse.
"We were surprised at how many sites you could go to and find, in some cases, quite potent painkillers that have addictive potential and that you could get them without prescription."
He added: "The regulators are very aware of this problem and it is not one they can easily manage.
"But there certainly needs to be some sort of international agreement."
Illegal sales
A spokeswoman for the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, said although the sale of prescription only medicines without a proper patient consultation was illegal it was not illegal to buy medicines online.
"But we strongly advise people that buying drugs or slimming products from the internet is not a good idea, unless buying from a website that has a Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) internet pharmacy logo.
"At best you will be wasting your money and at worst they could be deadly.
"You don't know what these products contain and you don't know in what conditions they have been made."
The RPSGB launched their logo scheme for bone fide pharmacy websites at the beginning of 2008.
Priya Sejpal, RPSGB head of professional ethics, said: "Internet pharmacy undoubtedly offers patients easy access and choice, but it also brings increased risk.
"There are a growing number of unregulated suppliers operating online with no professional qualifications or healthcare expertise.
"In many cases, medicines purchased from such suppliers are counterfeit, substandard or unapproved new drugs."
NHS pays to rectify cosmetic ops
 Thousands of patients head abroad for cosmetic operations |
The NHS is having to pick up the tab for cosmetic surgery performed abroad that has gone wrong, doctors say.
The British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons said many patients were turning to the health service for follow-up care.
A poll of 203 NHS surgeons found that more than a third knew of cases where complications followed surgery abroad.
The government warned people that the NHS was only there to deal with emergency complications in such cases.
And it urged those thinking about going abroad for operations to be careful.
It is estimated that up to 100,000 people a year are heading abroad for cheap cosmetic surgery such as breast enlargements, tummy tucks and face-lifts.
| What may seem like a bargain could cost them their health Vivienne Nathanson, of the British Medical Association  |
BAPRAS said the growing demand was being fuelled by the availability of cheap flights, but warned that the trend was leading to problems.
It said its members had seen a range of complications including blood poisoning, wound infections and blood clots, as well as patients who were not happy with the results of the surgery.
And the association warned that the extra work being caused by having to see these patients could end up delaying other NHS work.
It said patients should be made to pay for rectifying treatment except where there was a life life-threatening situation or if the patient was suffering from acute pain.
Complications following UK-based cosmetic surgery is the responsibility of the private clinic.
Anthony Armstrong, a leading member of BAPRAS, said: "Cosmetic operations involve major surgery.
"Anyone considering cosmetic surgery abroad must make sure they are fully aware of the potential complications that can occur and consider how these will be dealt with.
"They should not assume that the NHS will pick up the pieces and they may find themselves having to pay privately for follow-up surgery here."
Risks
But the British Medical Association said it was against patients being barred from NHS care.
Dr Vivienne Nathanson, head of ethics at the BMA, added: "It is essential that patients are warned about the potential risks of any surgery, and the specific risks of managing complications after having surgery overseas.
"What may seem like a bargain could cost them their health."
Katherine Murphy, of the Patients Association, agreed it would be wrong to withhold treatment.
She said patients needed better information about treatment available abroad.
A spokesman for the Department of Health said it had already made clear that the NHS was only there to deal with emergencies in such cases.
The spokesman added: "People are free to have cosmetic or other private surgery abroad if they wish to.
"However, we strongly advise people to do their research and make sure that they are clear about prices, procedures, recovery times, aftercare and what happens in the event that the treatment goes wrong."
