Professor Sheena Cruickshank has provided her expertise for a new animation produced by TED-Ed on the causes of the common cold and whether a cure is even possible.

On average, adults catch more than 150 colds throughout their lives. Even with similar symptoms, the cause could be different each time. Common colds are caused by at least 8 different families of virus, each of which can have its own subtypes.

How can so many different viruses cause the same illness? 

Explore the two main strategies we employ to fight viruses.

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