Economic aspect
The economic impact of the common cold is enormous.1,2
The University of Michigan (USA) Health System (UMHS) estimates in 2003, that more than 62 million cases of common cold each year require medical attention in the United States or limit the activity of the affected people.
Every year, the common cold causes 45 million days of lost work, 22 million lost school days and an overall economic impact of more than $ 20 billion.
Each year over 100 million medical visits can be attributed to the common cold in the USA, with an estimated cost of at least $ 7·7 billion a year.
An additional cost of $ 2.9 billion is incurred annually for the purchase of over-the-counter drugs intended for the treatment of cold symptoms and an additional $ 400 million for the purchase of prescription drugs for symptomatic alleviation.
In addition, more than $ 1·1 billion is spent annually on 41 million antibiotic prescriptions targeting colds, although antibiotics have no effect on a viral disease.