SOURCES: Brendan J. Canning, PhD, associate professor of medicine, Johns Hopkins Asthma and Allergy Center; J. Owen Hendley, MD, professor of pediatrics, University of Virginia School of Medicine; Ronald Turner, professor of pediatrics, associate dean for clinical research, University of Virginia School of Medicine; Manuel Seijo-Martinez, MD, head of medical services, Hospital do Salnes, Villagarcia de Arosa, Pontevedra, Spain | Reporting By Sally Squires And Brenna Maloney; Graphic By James Smallwood, The Washington Post | Interactive by Brian Cordyack, washingtonpost.com

One Week in the Life of a Cold

Treat a cold, and it lasts seven days. Leave it alone, and it’s gone in a week. That's how the saying goes. Based on research from the University of Virginia School of Medicine, here’s how a typical cold is likely to progress:

Reporting By Sally Squires, Graphic by Brenna Maloney And Tobey; Photo by iStockphoto