What is known as the common cold is an infectious viral disease that may have mild or severe consequences. Rhinovirus was first discovered in the 1950s when clinical laboratories investigated the pathogenic cause of this disease. Contact with micro-droplets from an infected person’s mucosal fluid in nasal mucus or saliva causes the spread of the viral infection. Unfortunately, there have not been any successful vaccination trials, and there is no specific medication to treat the rhinovirus infection. Therefore, people are dependent on controlling the spread of the infection and treating the symptoms. This paper analyzes the prevalence, variety, symptoms, treatment, prevention, and challenges faced in curbing the spread of rhinovirus.
Rhinovirus is prevalent among people of all age groups including infants. Children are more susceptible to the virus, with infections four times than adults (Esneau, 2022). In Tunisia, of the total of people hospitalized by the virus, children are 71.4% of the total (Esneau, 2022). Therefore, children take the most significant hit from virus infection. Additionally, older adults are more prone to succumbing to the effects of the virus than adults. They get more severe effects, such as pneumonia and, in extreme situations, death. Rhinovirus infections can occur throughout the year, but most people get infections during autumn and spring. Studies show that tropical regions such as Brazil are prevalent in Rhinovirus infections (Esneau, 2022). People with underlying conditions such as chronic bronchitis are more susceptible to contracting the virus than healthy people. People can quickly get this virus which has both mild and severe effects.
Moreover, various variants of the virus bind to the host cells, causing an infection. The Rhinovirus is an Enterovirus genera variant. One hundred sixty-nine species of the rhinovirus are further subdivided into RV-A, RV-B, and RV-C (Champredon et al., 2022). In the RV-A classification, there are 80 species commonly found in adults. It is responsible for severe cases and is mainly contracted in winter and cold regions like Norway (Champredon et al., 2022). The RV-B variant makes up 32 species and is commonly found in asymptomatic patients. These patients would look healthy, but they are carrying a virus that does not affect their bodies. They can spread the virus to other people, from whom they may also get mild or no effects. Nonetheless, the RV-C contains 57 species and is the most prevalent among all age groups. It primarily affects young children and is mainly contracted in the winter season. The Rhinovirus comprises four proteins, which include VP1, VP2, VP3, and VP4. The various species and protein structures formulate the Rhinovirus with its different effects on people.
Nevertheless, individual and environmental factors pose risks to the spread of the virus. According to research by Champredon et al., scientists had a conflicting understanding of the spread of the virus (2022). However, the development of techniques that measure molecular sizes, such as real-time PCR (RT-PCR), enabled scientists to determine the ability of the virus to spread. Therefore, it was determined that a small amount of saliva contained the virus and deposited like an aerosol spray from an infected person onto a healthy person, thus, causing the spread. Additionally, the virus spreads through contact, where 40% of the contact is with an infected person’s hands and 6% in contact with objects on which the micro-droplets land (Esneau, 2022). A study on the rate of infection in married couples showed that the other partner became sick nine times faster than people who lived alone due to increased contact (Esneau, 2022). Studies show that in micro-droplets of saliva, the virus is presently making it easy for the spread of the virus when healthy people have contact with infected people.
There are two stages of growth of the Rhinovirus: incubation and symptomatic stage. The incubation stage happens within two days of contact, when the virus enters the body, attaches itself to the host cell, and releases its genome to the host cell. Once the genome is released into the host cell, the virus replicates. The host cell ruptures, releasing the virus into other cells. When many cells have been affected within two days, an infected person notices various symptoms. The mild symptoms include having a runny nose, sneezing, wheezing, coughing, sore throat, and chest congestion. These mild symptoms may progress into a severe condition.
Additionally, the severe symptoms caused by rhinovirus infection include asthma attacks, cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis, and pneumonia. Recurrent wheeze and the development of asthma in children are linked to rhinovirus diseases. According to a study, children under three years with recurrent rhinovirus wheezing infections were ten times more likely to develop asthma at six years of age (Esneau, 2022). Several researchers have looked at the effects of viral pathogens on cystic fibrosis patients’ respiratory symptoms. When molecular testing techniques are used on patients with a known prevalence rate, Rhinovirus is the most commonly discovered pathogen. Rhinovirus was detected in 16 percent of all respiratory illnesses (Esneau, 2022). However, people with these severe implications of the virus as underlying conditions have a higher risk of awakening them when they get the virus. These signs last for days or weeks depending on one’s immunity, as the more potent the immunity, the more resistance they have against the virus.
These symptoms affect individuals, families, and society by reducing productivity and income generation. Individuals severely affected by the virus tend to stay at home while others are hospitalized. The virus weakens their bodies, preventing people from conducting their daily lives. Additionally, families are tasked with taking care of a sick person with the virus, which may be an emotional and physical burden. Virus pandemics such as the Coronavirus reduce a country’s economy (Champredon et al., 2022). There is an increased number of patients in the hospital in which the government is forced to direct its finances to curb the epidemic. The government is forced to take strict measures to reduce the spread of the virus. Additionally, there is increased morbidity, which reduces the workforce in the country. The virus’s effect is detrimental to families, individuals, and the country.
The treatment of rhinovirus involves targeting the virus and controlling the virus’s replication process. Nevertheless, antiviral drugs have decreased the virus’s division, thereby decreasing the viral load. The drugs such as Pleconaril and Vapendavir bind to the capsids of the virus, preventing it from penetrating host cells and releasing its genome (Esneau, 2022). The drugs inhibit protein synthesis of the various proteins found in the capsid when they bind to the virus. The cells on which the virus binds do not get infected. Therefore, the cells that had already been infected and released more viruses die, and the viruses released cannot enter into new host cells. Additionally, the body’s immune system can fight off the infected cells, and through cell division, new healthy cells are produced and impenetrable due to the antiviral drugs. Instead of using antiviral drugs, a person’s innate immunity can fight off the infection through pathogenesis, where the white blood cells engulf the infected cells. This process occurs in the early stages of the infection. Therefore, people need to have strong immunity for the body to fight off the illness even with the introduction of antiviral drugs.
One of the challenges of fighting off a viral infection is the antigenic diversity of the virus, which makes it hard for scientists to make one specific treatment that would kill the virus. Typically, the virus enters a host cell and pours its genome into the host cell. The host cell then becomes a pseudo-virus, where it is partly a human cell and a virus. The viral genome replicates quickly, raptures the cell, and releases the replicated viruses onto other cells. The cycle goes on in each cell, creating a high viral load. Killing the virus would mean killing all host cells, which would impair various organs. Therefore, the antigenic diversity has made it hard for scientists to create a treatment that would kill the virus.
Another challenge is drug resistance and recurrence of the symptoms. Drug resistance is when the body cannot respond to treatment, and the antimicrobial agent continues to affect the cells (Champredon et al., 2022). In treating a virus, drug resistance can come from the wrong administration, previous misuse of antiviral drugs, and resistance due to a high viral load that the drug cannot combat. People can also adopt the resistance from genes that disable the drugs’ ability to kill the disease. Nonetheless, some drugs treat the symptoms caused by a viral infection but do not kill the virus. The virus would still live in the host’s body and replicate even if the infected person does not feel sick. Therefore, the viral load would increase to a point where the body and other treatments could not contain the severity of the virus. These challenges make it hard to contain the virus’ spread and its effects.
It is crucial to prevent the spread of infection rather than treat it. One of the most effective methods of preventing the spread of Rhinovirus is social distancing and wearing masks. Masks have proven to be valuable commodities in containing the spread of infections, especially among health care workers with whom they have to be in close contact (Esneau, 2022). People should also maintain a healthy lifestyle to boost their immunity, such as intake of necessary nutrients and exercise. Since 1942, vitamin C has been investigated to prevent the flu, and since the 1970s, it has been promoted as an antioxidant for protecting the body against viral infections (Esneau, 2022). Strict social regulation and a healthy lifestyle will help prevent the spread of Rhinovirus.
Rhinovirus is a common virus, and its spread causes various effects which can be treated and prevented. The prevalence of the viral infection is shared among all age groups; there are different variants such as RV-A, RV-B, and RV-C. The infection spreads significantly faster when close contact with an infected person is made. Some of the symptoms include a runny nose, wheezing, and coughing. These symptoms may cause more severe problems such as asthma and pneumonia. The treatment option for Rhinovirus infection is antiviral drugs and strong immunity. The challenges in treating viral infection are drug resistance and RV antigen diversity. However, the virus can be prevented by a healthy lifestyle and social distancing with masks.
References
Champredon, D., Bancej, C., Lee, L., & Buckrell, S. (2022). Implications of the unexpected persistence of human rhinovirus/enterovirus during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Canada. Influenza and other respiratory viruses, 16(2), 190-192.
Esneau, C., Duff, A. C., & Bartlett, N. W. (2022). Understanding Rhinovirus Circulation and Impact on Illness. Viruses, 14(1), 141.