system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: What is our body / immune system trying to accomplish through the stages of a cold (fever, sore throat, hoarse throat, stuffy nose, runny nose, sneezing, cough)?
gpt
Fever - Make the body less hospitable to whatever's infecting it

Sore/hoarse throat - This isn't intentional. This could be caused by a pathogen infecting the throat tissue causing pain and imflammation, or from post-nasal drip running back down the back of the throat enough to cause irritation

Runny nose - A pathogen has infected sinus tissues, so your sinuses are generating a ton of extra fluids to literally flush them out.

Stuffy Nose - Pathogens or too much irritation from fluids (see above) can inflame the tissues, closing up your sinuses.

Sneezing - See above

Cough - An infection in the lungs is being attacked by the immune system and is supported by increased mucus generation, which then needs to be expelled. Or, post-nasal drip is going down the wrong hole provoking a cough reflex to clear it out.