Diseases — Common Cold

Overview

The Common Cold in DayZ is a viral infection typically contracted through exposure to cold, wet conditions or by interacting with contaminated gear. If left untreated, the constant sneezing and coughing will alert nearby players and zombies to your exact position, making it a critical threat to your stealth and overall survival.

How It Works

The Common Cold is triggered when your character’s health or immunity stats drop while your temperature is low. Once infected, you will begin sneezing and coughing at regular intervals. This state persists until your immune system reaches a high enough threshold to fight off the pathogen, which is accelerated by specific medical items and maintaining optimal character stats.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Get warm immediately by moving into a building or standing near a fireplace.
2. Wring out your soaked clothing by opening your inventory, selecting the clothing item, and choosing the "Wring out" option.
3. Consume a Vitaminbottle to boost your immune system strength.
4. Take one Tetracyclineantibiotics pill to directly combat the bacterial infection.
5. Wait for the pill's icon to disappear from the bottom right of your HUD before taking another dose, as taking multiple at once is a waste.
6. Keep your food and water levels in the white (full) to maintain the maximum passive immune boost.
7. Discard or disinfect any face coverings, such as masks or bandanas, as they can retain the infection.

Tips

• Stay dry by finding a Raincoat or keeping your clothing protected inside a waterproof drybag.
• Monitor the "pill" icon in your status bar; as long as it is active, the medication is working.
• If you lack medicine, maintain a high body temperature and keep your food/water levels maxed out to allow your natural immunity to recover.
• Avoid staying in the rain; check your clothing status frequently for the "Damp" or "Soaked" tags.
• Use a fireplace to quickly dry your gear while you sit nearby to warm up your core temperature.

Common Mistakes

• Taking multiple Tetracyclineantibiotics at once; the game does not stack the effects, and you waste precious supplies.
• Wearing the same face mask you had on when you caught the cold, which causes constant reinfection.
• Ignoring the "Hungry" or "Thirsty" status, which drastically lowers your natural immunity and makes the cold take much longer to heal.
• Neglecting to wring out clothes; wet clothes drain your temperature much faster than dry ones.

Related Items

• Vitaminbottle
• Tetracyclineantibiotics

Related Guides

• Cooking
• Fireplace Building
• Shelter Building