Re: Vacuous idea
Since these symptoms are subjective and personal...
They're actually not. Most symptoms of the common cold can be concretely measured through things such as mucus production, swelling of certain tissues, and vasoconstriction. The only subjective symptom is pain. Furthermore, we know from prior research that measured those symptoms that both rhinovirus and influenza really do produce more severe symptoms in men than in women. I have not, however, seen anyone suggest a semi-plausible hypothesis as to why (unless you count "men are wimps" as a semi-plausible explanation fro more severe symptoms that is).
Biting the hand that feeds IT
