According to the scientists behind the recent review, which appears in the journal BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine, URTIs are “the most frequent reason for antibiotic prescription.” However, the majority of URTIs are viral, and antibiotics, therefore, cannot help.
The rhinovirus alone accounts for an estimated 80% of all respiratory infections during peak seasons.In the era of antibiotic resistance, a lack of effective treatments for URTIs is a pressing concern.
The World Health Organization (WHO) consider antibiotic resistance to be “one of the biggest threats to global health, food security, and development today.” For this reason, there is an urgent need for alternative approaches to these and other infections. The common cold is far from.