Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle

Why don’t characters in novels ever catch colds?

Bless you ... no literary merit in the common cold?
Bless you ... but no literary merit in the common cold? Photograph: Bettmann/Corbis

Why don’t the people in novels ever catch colds? My rough reckoning is that 25% to 40% of novels should have a main character getting a stinking cold at some point. (From Google: the average number of principal characters in a novel is about five; the average timespan covered by a novel is about one year; the average number of colds per person per year is two to three, each lasting about a week.)

Chris Kitchin, Thaxted, Essex

• Post your answers – and new questions – below or email them to nq@theguardian.com. Please include name, address and phone number

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.