Common Cold

3 articles published between August 12, 2026 and August 22, 2026.

EXPLAINER

Vitamin C does not prevent colds. Zinc may shorten one, with more side effects.

Cochrane reviews covering more than 19,000 participants found no reduction in cold incidence from regular vitamin C, a possible reduction in duration from zinc, and a clear increase in adverse events.

4 min read

WHAT THE STUDY ACTUALLY SAYS

For a child's night cough, honey beats over-the-counter cough medicine in the trials

Cochrane reviews find honey modestly eases a child's cough and does about as well as dextromethorphan, while OTC cough medicines have not beaten placebo in children. The honey trials excluded infants under one.

3 min read

EXPLAINER

Antibiotics do nothing for a cold, and about 16 hours for a sore throat

A Cochrane review of six trials found no benefit for the common cold and significantly more adverse effects in adults. Resistant bacterial infections were linked to 4.71 million deaths in 2021.

4 min read

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