Difference between revisions of "1612: Colds"

Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
Jump to: navigation, search
(→‎Explanation)
(Undo revision 136397 by 162.158.102.202 (talk) Nice try...)
(12 intermediate revisions by 10 users not shown)
Line 8: Line 8:
  
 
==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
−
{{incomplete|First draft please improve if you can. Change from second person to third person.}}
+
The typical symptoms of a {{w|Common cold|cold}} are a sore throat, blocked or runny nose, sneezing, and coughing. Slightly less common symptoms can include headache, aching muscles and an unpleasant sensation of temperature.
−
When you get a {{w|Common cold|cold}} you often start out by having a sore throat and you feel heavy in you entire body and become tired. You feel really bad, although you may not turn in sick. But your voice still sounds OK and people will only notice if you tell them, and even then they may not realize how bad it is.  
 
  
−
But then after the throat turns better, you often begin to cough and this makes you hoarse. You may also need to blow your nose a lot more than in the beginning (not mentioned here though). All of this makes it clear to people around you that you are sick. But actually you are already feeling much better than the first few days of your cold.  
+
The earlier symptoms to occur following infection are generally the more unpleasant-feeling symptoms: headache, aching muscles, sneezing and feeling cold. However, these symptoms are also those which are least obvious to other people, and so elicit very little {{w|sympathy}}.
  
−
But it is now when you sound hoarse that people gives you the {{w|sympathy}} you really needed when you were feeling awful the first couple of days. And to [[Randall]] this is the worst about colds, that you first get the sympathy when you no longer really need it. (Other people might think the sore throat and the runny nose hoarseness is even worse than not getting sympathy...)
+
Within a few days, these symptoms start to subside, while a cough and runny nose start. These symptoms generally feel less unpleasant, but are much more noticeable to others, and so more sympathy may be given. The cough may lead to a hoarse voice, making the patient sound very ill; ironically, at this point, it may be easier for an employed person to phone in sick, but it is less desirable to stay off work.
  
−
The graph shows the above mentioned facts as two curves, one that indicates how bad you have it, really bad on day 2, but much better already on day 3 of your cold. And the other curve how bad you sound due to the hoarseness and the coughing. And this curve first peaks around day 4-6 where you no longer need the sympathy you get from it.
+
But it is now when the patient sounds hoarse that others give the sympathy that was really needed when the patient was feeling awful during the first couple of days. And to [[Randall]] this is the worst about colds, that the patients first gets sympathy when it is no longer really needed.
  
−
The symptoms of the two periods are listed below the curves indicating which periods you are affected by them.  
+
The graph shows the above-mentioned facts as two curves, one that indicates how bad the sickness is, really bad on day 2, but much better already on day 3. And the other curve how bad the patient sounds due to the hoarseness and the coughing. And this curve first peaks around day 4-6 when the sympathy is no longer needed.
  
−
In the title text Randall muses about the fact that you first stop being contagious around the time when you begin to sound hoarse. This is the time when people ask you to stay at home in bed when you call in to the office, because you sound so hoarse. And also the time, when people will stay clear of you if you do come in. But then it is too late, since you have probably already infected them by then. Randall thus suggests that this is evidence that the cold virus has evolved to spread optimally in a work place. Since the cold virus is much older than offices this is unlikely. But it will always spread better in places where many people are close together (and since we are more inside in the winter, this is the main reason why it spreads more during cold periods.) However, viruses do evolve very quickly so it may not be unlikely that some of them has already adapted to our present way of living.
+
The symptoms of the two periods are listed below the curves indicating which periods are affected by them.
 +
 
 +
In the title text Randall muses about the fact that contagiousness ends around the time when hoarseness begins. This is the time when employers ask sick employees to stay at home in bed when they call in to the office, because they sound so hoarse. And also the time when coworkers will stay clear of those who do come in. But then it is too late, since everyone is probably already infected by then. Randall thus suggests that this is evidence that the cold virus has evolved to spread optimally in a work place. Since the cold virus is much older than offices this is unlikely. But it will always spread better in places where many people are close together; and since we are more inside in the winter, this is the main reason why it spreads more during cold periods. However, viruses do evolve very quickly so it may not be unlikely that some of them has already adapted to our present way of living.
 +
 
 +
Another thing that Randall doesn't like about cold is that no medicine works, and the one that relives you the most is hard to come by. This was the subject two weeks later in [[1618: Cold Medicine]], and this suggests that it is actually Randall himself who has a long lasting cold.
  
 
==Transcript==
 
==Transcript==
−
:[A graph is shown with two curves. The Y-axis indicated how you feel, with three levels indicated with small ticks on the inside of the axis. These are labeled to the left of the Y–axis. The X-axis gives the time. The unit is given (days written in gray text) to the left and then the number of days are noted below the axis for each of the eight ticks on the inside of the axis). Both curves begin at the lowest level just off the Y-axis. One curve, indicating how bad you feel, rises rapidly, reaching it's maximum in less than two days only to fall off almost as rapidly, ending up on an even lower level than it began with before day 5. The other curve, indicating how bad you sound, start out by staying constantly low, first rising on day 3, when the first curve are drooping down. They cross between day 3 and 4, and first then does the second curve rise, reaching its max around day 5, not as high a maximum  as the first curve, but it stays up longer, falling only moderately off even after day 8, where it reaches the middle level on the Y-axis. Above the two curves are two line intervals that indicated when you need sympathy and when you get it. This text is written on the broken line. All this is in gray text. Below the X-axis are the symptoms listed for the different time period. These are written in white inside gray rectangles. The rectangles are a different length depending on how many days they last. And they are in two layers.]
+
:[A graph is shown with two curves. The Y-axis indicated how you feel, with three levels indicated with small ticks on the inside of the axis. These are labeled to the left of the Y–axis. The X-axis gives the time. The unit is given (days written in gray text) to the left and then the number of days are noted below the axis for each of the eight ticks on the inside of the axis. Both curves begin at the lowest level just off the Y-axis. One curve, indicating how bad you feel, rises rapidly, reaching its maximum in less than two days only to fall off almost as rapidly, ending up on an even lower level than it began with before day 5. The other curve, indicating how bad you sound, start out by staying constantly low, first rising on day 3, when the first curve are drooping down. They cross between day 3 and 4, and first then does the second curve rise, reaching its max around day 5, not as high a maximum  as the first curve, but it stays up longer, falling only moderately off even after day 8, where it reaches the middle level on the Y-axis. Above the two curves are two line intervals that indicated when you need sympathy and when you get it. This text is written on the broken line. All this is in gray text. Below the X-axis are the symptoms listed for the different time period. These are written in white inside gray rectangles. The rectangles are a different length depending on how many days they last. And they are in two layers.]
  
 
:[Y-axis:]
 
:[Y-axis:]
Line 37: Line 40:
  
 
:[Gray text on the two gray lines above:]
 
:[Gray text on the two gray lines above:]
−
:<font color="gray">Need sympathy  
+
:<font color="gray">Need sympathy</font>
−
:Get sympathy</font>  
+
:<font color="gray">Get sympathy</font>
  
 
:[Text in white on gray below, first the three to the left (one above two below), then the two to the right one above the other:]
 
:[Text in white on gray below, first the three to the left (one above two below), then the two to the right one above the other:]
Line 47: Line 50:
 
:Hoarseness
 
:Hoarseness
  
−
:[Caption below the frame:]
 
 
:The worst part about colds
 
:The worst part about colds
  
 
{{comic discussion}}
 
{{comic discussion}}
  
−
[[Category:Charts]]
+
[[Category:Line graphs]]

Revision as of 20:15, 4 March 2017

Colds
The contagious period ends right around when you start to sound sick over the phone, which is probably evidence of cold viruses evolving to spread optimally in the workplace.
Title text: The contagious period ends right around when you start to sound sick over the phone, which is probably evidence of cold viruses evolving to spread optimally in the workplace.

Explanation

The typical symptoms of a cold are a sore throat, blocked or runny nose, sneezing, and coughing. Slightly less common symptoms can include headache, aching muscles and an unpleasant sensation of temperature.

The earlier symptoms to occur following infection are generally the more unpleasant-feeling symptoms: headache, aching muscles, sneezing and feeling cold. However, these symptoms are also those which are least obvious to other people, and so elicit very little sympathy.

Within a few days, these symptoms start to subside, while a cough and runny nose start. These symptoms generally feel less unpleasant, but are much more noticeable to others, and so more sympathy may be given. The cough may lead to a hoarse voice, making the patient sound very ill; ironically, at this point, it may be easier for an employed person to phone in sick, but it is less desirable to stay off work.

But it is now when the patient sounds hoarse that others give the sympathy that was really needed when the patient was feeling awful during the first couple of days. And to Randall this is the worst about colds, that the patients first gets sympathy when it is no longer really needed.

The graph shows the above-mentioned facts as two curves, one that indicates how bad the sickness is, really bad on day 2, but much better already on day 3. And the other curve how bad the patient sounds due to the hoarseness and the coughing. And this curve first peaks around day 4-6 when the sympathy is no longer needed.

The symptoms of the two periods are listed below the curves indicating which periods are affected by them.

In the title text Randall muses about the fact that contagiousness ends around the time when hoarseness begins. This is the time when employers ask sick employees to stay at home in bed when they call in to the office, because they sound so hoarse. And also the time when coworkers will stay clear of those who do come in. But then it is too late, since everyone is probably already infected by then. Randall thus suggests that this is evidence that the cold virus has evolved to spread optimally in a work place. Since the cold virus is much older than offices this is unlikely. But it will always spread better in places where many people are close together; and since we are more inside in the winter, this is the main reason why it spreads more during cold periods. However, viruses do evolve very quickly so it may not be unlikely that some of them has already adapted to our present way of living.

Another thing that Randall doesn't like about cold is that no medicine works, and the one that relives you the most is hard to come by. This was the subject two weeks later in 1618: Cold Medicine, and this suggests that it is actually Randall himself who has a long lasting cold.

Transcript

[A graph is shown with two curves. The Y-axis indicated how you feel, with three levels indicated with small ticks on the inside of the axis. These are labeled to the left of the Y–axis. The X-axis gives the time. The unit is given (days written in gray text) to the left and then the number of days are noted below the axis for each of the eight ticks on the inside of the axis. Both curves begin at the lowest level just off the Y-axis. One curve, indicating how bad you feel, rises rapidly, reaching its maximum in less than two days only to fall off almost as rapidly, ending up on an even lower level than it began with before day 5. The other curve, indicating how bad you sound, start out by staying constantly low, first rising on day 3, when the first curve are drooping down. They cross between day 3 and 4, and first then does the second curve rise, reaching its max around day 5, not as high a maximum as the first curve, but it stays up longer, falling only moderately off even after day 8, where it reaches the middle level on the Y-axis. Above the two curves are two line intervals that indicated when you need sympathy and when you get it. This text is written on the broken line. All this is in gray text. Below the X-axis are the symptoms listed for the different time period. These are written in white inside gray rectangles. The rectangles are a different length depending on how many days they last. And they are in two layers.]
[Y-axis:]
The worst
Bad
Fine
[The X-axis, with the unit written in gray just below Fine from the Y-axis:]
Days: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
[Labels for curves:]
How bad you feel
How bad you sound
[Gray text on the two gray lines above:]
Need sympathy
Get sympathy
[Text in white on gray below, first the three to the left (one above two below), then the two to the right one above the other:]
Skin crawling
Sore throat
Aching
Cough
Hoarseness
The worst part about colds


comment.png add a comment! ⋅ comment.png add a topic (use sparingly)! ⋅ Icons-mini-action refresh blue.gif refresh comments!

Discussion

Just like I have it now. I'm on the day 6 I think... ;-) --Kynde (talk) 12:42, 4 December 2015 (UTC)

I'm feeling tired and heavy, did you do this to me!? Xseo (talk) 13:44, 4 December 2015 (UTC)
@Kynde: You poor, poor thing ;-). --DaB. (talk) 13:48, 4 December 2015 (UTC)

Cold viruses evolve so quickly that every year your immunity to last year virus is useless. Also note that the "people will stay clear of you if you do come in" behavior is older than offices: visible (and audible) symptoms make people avoid close contact with you, therefore it is advantageous for the virus to avoid causing them as long as possible. -- Hkmaly (talk) 13:50, 4 December 2015 (UTC)

I'm not familiar with the "skin crawling" symptom. Is that just a weird name for some other symptom? 108.162.218.107 14:25, 4 December 2015 (UTC) Gus

I get that every time I have a cold. I had a cold not long before this comic was published and I knew immediately what it was referring to. No one else that I know has ever experienced this, and no one else online makes any reference to it. Believe it or not, this comic is literally the only reference that I have seen to a particularly unpleasant symptom that I get every time I have a cold that no one else seems to get or even know about. 162.158.34.94 17:59, 23 November 2017 (UTC)
Incomplete notice says "First draft please improve if you can. Change from second person to third person."

So I should change it to say "First draft please improve if he can"?

-)

162.158.56.77 23:46, 5 December 2015 (UTC)


I think "skin crawling" refers to the chills you get when you have a cold, like the chills you get when something craws on your skin. 173.245.54.25 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

Skin crawling means (I think) you feel like you have ants crawling on your skin. I have felt that at times, however I didn't recognize the phrase right away - it took a bit of thinking (my first language is not English). 108.162.228.215 08:07, 9 December 2015 (UTC)

official transcript shows transcript of comic 1610, same with 1611 showing 1609 172.71.175.21 23:48, 9 October 2023 (UTC)

Retrieved from "https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1612:_Colds&oldid=136398"