Overview

• Published on August 11 in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, the analysis drew on the nationwide HEROS cohort of more than 4,100 participants across 1,394 U.S. households.
• People with a recent rhinovirus detection were less likely to test positive for SARS-CoV-2 in the following weeks, with the effect most pronounced in children.
• Thousands of self-collected nasal swabs and airway gene-expression profiles linked recent viral exposure to elevated interferon responses.
• Authors describe the finding as heterologous viral interference and report the first prospective evidence of this phenomenon involving SARS-CoV-2.
• Researchers caution against trying to catch a cold, saying any protection appears temporary and that the biology may guide future prevention strategies for vulnerable groups.