Rhinovirus Infection Triggered Immune System Protection

The findings from a study published in The Lancet on September 4, 2020, show that one respiratory virus can block infection with another through the stimulation of antiviral defenses in the airway mucosa. 

The investigators from Yale University studied 3 years of clinical data from more than 13,000 patients with symptoms of respiratory infection. They found that even during months when both rhinovirus and influenza were active if the common cold virus was present .... then the flu virus was not.

These results indicate that viral interference can potentially affect the course of an epidemic, and this possibility should be considered when designing interventions for seasonal influenza epidemics and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.