Cold Sores, Explained in Just 2 Minutes

Around half of the population carries the herpes simplex virus — the virus that causes cold sores — according to the Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention.

That might sound high, but many people who are infected by the virus don’t actually have symptoms on a regular basis. If you do have the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), there’s a good chance you haven’t had symptoms since you were in elementary school. (It’s not the same as genital herpes, which is dubbed HSV-2.)

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Written by:

Lauren Smith, MA

Lauren Smith, MA, has worked in health journalism since 2017. Before joining GoodRx, she was the senior health editor and writer for HealthiNation.

Reviewed by:

Sanjai Sinha, MD

Sanjai Sinha, MD, is a board-certified physician with over 20 years of experience. He specializes in internal medicine.

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