Who would have thought it? A cuddly toy in the shape of a virus! These cuddly characters are incredibly endearing and educational too. Each one comes with a detailed scientific description and photograph of what he looks like under the microscope, along with medical tips on how to avoid picking up these bugs in daily life. Children seem to be totally fascinated by them, and it really helps when explaining all about why they are feeling poorly. The perfect gift to accompany a Get Well card. Also a brilliant present for medical students, doctors and nurses etc. You will soon understand why they are becoming amazingly popular! Start collecting now. Facts: There are over 250 different kinds of cold viruses! But rhinovirus is by far the most common. (Rhino means nose in Greek - think rhinoceros.) With over 100 different varieties, rhinoviruses are responsible for almost 35 percent of colds. Rhinovirus is particularly active from August to April. This is because rhinovirus loves the low humidity of the winter months. Also, when the humidity is low, your nose dries out and is more susceptible to infection. But, despite what you might think, studies show that one thing that doesn't cause a cold is cold! The best thing you can do to lower your chance of catching a cold is to wash your hands a lot. Rhinovirus can survive three hours outside someone's nose. If it gets on your fingers and you rub your nose you've caught it! What can you do if you get a cold? Not much. Antihistamines and decongestants can help relieve the symptoms of a cold. But antibiotics only work against bacteria and not against viruses. So get plenty of rest and drink lots of fluids and play with your GIANTmicrobe!