| Methods |
Prospective cohort study involving men ˜ 18 years of age. The objective of the study was to determine whether rhinovirus 16 colds could be stopped from spreading with the use of an highly virucidal paper handkerchief (CMF tissues) containing citric acid and other virucidal ingredients. 20 to 25 men ˜ 18 years of age were inoculated intranasally with a safety tested R16. The laboratory‐induced cold was in all aspects comparable to natural colds. 8 of them with the most severe colds (donors) played cards with 12 antibody‐free men (recipients) in a experiment room. Four experiments were conducted, in experiments B and C volunteers used CMF tissues to prevent spreading of R16 colds. In the 2 control experiments (A and D) volunteers were permitted to use cotton handkerchiefs |
| Participants |
Males ˜ 18 years of age with a laboratory‐induced R 16 cold (donors) and 12 antibody‐free men (recipients) |
| Interventions |
Use of virucidal paper handkerchief (CMF tissues), containing citric acid and other virucidal ingredients to stop the spreading of R16 colds versus normal cotton handkerchiefs |
| Outcomes |
Laboratory: serological evidence (serum samples or viral isolation)
Effectiveness: rhinovirus colds
Safety: n/a |
| Notes |
Risk of bias: low
Notes: the authors concluded that the use of CMS tissues has been successful, because it determined a complete interruption of transmission of R16 among participants, stopping the spreading in an environment in which possibilities for transfer of virus were constant, and in which the rate of transmission was predictably high under standard conditions (42% of cotton handkerchief users developed colds, but no user of virucidal tissues did so) |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Unclear risk |
N/A |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Unclear risk |
N/A |
| Blinding (performance bias and detection bias)
All outcomes |
Unclear risk |
N/A |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes |
Unclear risk |
N/A |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) |
Unclear risk |
N/A |
