Central Idea: The common cold is a highly contagious virus spread in many different ways and is best treated with traditional remedies.

I. What is the most common illness in the world?

II. If you guessed the "common" cold you are correct.

III. According to the US Health Services, adults get 2 to 3 colds every year.

IV. On any one day 930,000 people have cold symptoms and 30% of the work force will miss work w/ a cold.

V. I would like to answer three questions

(Transition: Let's address question 1 first: what exactly is a cold?)

I. The common cold is the world's most prevalent upper respiratory infection caused by the Rhino virus

A. Anyone with a Bio background will know that the rhino virus affects the mucus cells in the nose and disrupts those cells normal function.

A. Over the years people have tried many remedies for a cold.

There is an Old English saying for patients with a cold. "Hang one's hat on the bedpost, drink from a bottle of good whiskey until two hats appear, then get into bed and stay there. In short this is no magic cure for the common cold. Just rest and hope you get better fast. People have been dealing with colds since the beginning of time. I hope you now have better idea of just what a cold is and all that is involved when you are stricken with the most common human ailment in the world.

II. Colds can only enter into other peoples nasal mucus cells if the are somehow directly transported there.

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 691
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)