Personally, in my 73 years, I never knew anyone who died from having a cold, and over the years many friends and relatives have had colds. Of the many people I've known, they just considered it to be an inconvenience. Today with HMOs and "free" PCP visits, everyone is encouraged to run to their doctor for the least little thing. What have we become?
I haven't had a cold for about 15 or 20 years but about two months ago, I had what I call "the coughing cold." That consisted of occasional sneezing, a mild sore throat, and periodic fits of coughing. No stuffy nose. It lasted about 4 or 5 days.
Today I just got over having a different kind of cold. It lasted 4 days. This cold was of a different character. It started with a bad sore throat but that cleared up after the first day. The main problem with this cold is that I had a runny nose.
So now my immune system has been strengthened and is totally up to date.
Here's my theory about taking medication: Medication may make you feel more comfortable by covering up symptoms, but meds may also interfere with your immune system and cause your cold to last longer. And perhaps you never get complete immunity. I've known people who said they get frequent colds. I think if people would let their cold run its natural med-free course they would likely get better immunity.