The Complexities of the Common Cold

Since mapping the genomes of different strains of the rhinovirus, University of Maryland and University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers have been working on developing a diagnostic test. And, CNN reports, the test for the common cold was expected to cost $2,000 though now may be closer to $20, and would be a boon for people with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for whom colds can be dangerous. "Fifty percent of the exacerbations that occur in patients who have these two diseases are due to a rhinovirus infection," says UMD’s Stephen Liggett. "So it's that group of people we are targeting. Those would be the first group we'd like to help." Liggett adds that by studying cold virus’ genomes that the strains can be assembled into a "family tree."