How Come We Can't Cure The Cold?

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One of the drawbacks of this approach is the high cost of interferon. Gwaltney estimates that at today's prices the doses needed to treat a cold would set you back $200 (although interferon may eventually go generic, which should bring costs down). Another problem is that chlorpheniramine makes many people very sleepy, so you should not drive a car or operate machinery while treatments are under way. For reasons that are unclear, the nondrowsy antihistamines that work for allergies don't seem as effective against colds.

Finally, there's an even bigger hurdle to consider. Let's suppose that researchers discover some sort of safe and effective cure for the common cold. Chances are you would have to get a doctor's prescription for it. When you consider that Americans suffer about 1 billion colds a year, the resulting demand could overwhelm the health-care system--which is why most cold experts believe that any cure will have to be safe enough to be sold over the counter.

Until then, stock up on your tissues, chicken soup and favorite cold remedies. Wash your hands to keep from spreading any cold germs. Even in the absence of inexpensive interferon, both ibuprofen and chlorpheniramine are pretty good at treating a cold's symptoms in those who can tolerate the drugs. The jury's still out on whether vitamin C, echinacea or zinc works, but don't forget that most marvelous of all home remedies: a good night's sleep.