Yes, now that the children have been back in school for a few weeks, the viruses are being shared!  If only they'd share their toys so nicely....

Cold symptoms last much longer than most people think.  In an old (but still good) study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers actually followed symptoms in patients with rhinovirus (the most common cold virus), and found this:

Notice that while the fever and sore throat were mainly the first 3-5 days, the cough and runny nose hung on for two weeks in about 20% of patients.  Most people will have symptoms for 7-10 days.  Any time you question whether your child has something more than just a cold (fevers are prolonged, ear pain, hard to breathe or wheezy), do not hesitate to call us to be seen!  Otherwise,  run the humidifier, take steamy showers, and hang in there!