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.