Yes, but more than that, you don’t need to kiss or even touch a stranger to pick up the germs. "The virus particles of the common cold are spread through the small droplets of saliva in the air when someone with the infection coughs, sneezes or even laughs or talks," says GP Dr Sarah Brewer.
"The particles are propelled at an estimated speed of around 100mph and can travel for many metres (research shows that a single cough would fill about three-quarters of a two-litre bottle with air containing 3,000 droplets of potentially infectious saliva). They may then enter a nearby person’s body through the eyes, nose or mouth."
In addition, germs from their hands linger long after they’ve gone, contaminating surfaces such as door handles, escalators and keyboards on which the virus is able to survive.