There are some indications that a viral infection, like for example a common cold, could help trigger coeliac disease. It's unclear how strong the effect of a viral infection on coeliac disease onset would be, or how the infection may increase someone's chances of getting coeliac disease. We think it has a small effect at most, because many people don't get diagnosed with coeliac disease until much later in life, when they have encountered many common colds already. Other factors, including genetics or other things that you may encounter in your surroundings, are also likely to play a role. Several groups are trying to understand the link between viral infections, and other environmental factors and coeliac disease.