When Are You Not Continuous After Flu

What Else Can Help

How long are you contagious for when you have the flu or a cold?

To make spreading the flu less likely, everyone in your family should::

• Wash hands well and often with soap, especially after using the bathroom, after coughing or sneezing, and before eating or preparing food
• Never pick up used tissues.
• Never share cups and eating utensils.
• Stay home from work or school if they have the flu.
• Cover their mouth and nose with a tissue when they cough or sneeze, then put it in the trash.
• Cough or sneeze into their upper arm, not their hands, if a tissue isn't handy.

When Should I Seek Medical Treatment

Children most likely to need medical treatment from their doctor for influenza infection are those who are very young or have serious medical conditions . If you think your child needs medical treatment, call your pediatricians office first. Your doctor may want to speak with you over the phone and recommend treatments rather than have you come into the office, where your child can infect other people.

How Do I Disinfect My House After Stomach Flu

Put on rubber or disposable gloves and wipe the entire area with paper towels, then disinfect the area using a bleach-based household cleaner as directed on the product label. Leave the bleach disinfectant on the affected area for at least five minutes, then clean the entire area again with soap and hot water.

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How Long Am I Contagious After A Cold

Most people are contagious with a cold a day before they notice symptoms until about a week after the onset of symptoms, Pittman said. The CDCs recommendation is to stay home until you are fever free for 24 hours without the help of a fever reducer.

Because you are still contagious after the fever subsides, Pittman emphasizes the importance of handwashing and taking extra care to contain your cough or sneeze.

The CDC recommends to call your primary care provider if cold symptoms last longer than 10 days, or if a child younger than three months of age is showing symptoms.

Learn Strategies For Staying Healthy

One of the best ways to avoid becoming sick with the flu is by staying away from people who are ill. But if someone in the house has the flu, it's not possible to avoid all contact with them. To stay healthy, follow these simple tips for preventing the spread of the flu virus:

• Wash your hands frequently, especially after an interaction with the sick person. Use soap and water if these are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub to cleanse your hands.
• Disinfect surfaces or objects that may harbor the flu virus. Use paper towels that can be thrown away or cloth towels you can launder easily.
• Avoid touching your mouth, nose, or eyes because the virus can enter your body in these locations.
• Keep your personal items separate from those of the person who's sick. This includes clothing, eating utensils, and toothbrushes.
• Wash your towels and clothing with hot water. Hot water helps kill the flu virus.
• Wear disposable gloves if you're cleaning up body fluids or contaminated items, such as tissues. Also, wash your hands with soap and water as soon as you're finished with chores like this.
• Cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze or cough by tucking your face into your elbow or sleeve. Try to avoid sneezing or coughing into your hands.

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Does Sleep Help Flu Recovery

Sleep is the best medicine for your body while fighting the flu. Watching TV curled up on the couch isn't a bad idea, but you shouldn't be binge-watching your favorite Netflix show all night long. Go to bed earlier than usual and sleep in. You can also take a nap during the day to give your body more time to recover.

Preventing The Spread Of Flu

You can help stop yourself catching flu or spreading it to others with good hygiene measures.

Always wash your hands regularly with soap and warm water, as well as:

• regularly cleaning surfaces such as your computer keyboard, telephone and door handles to get rid of germs
• using tissues to cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze
• putting used tissues in a bin as soon as possible

You can also help stop the spread of flu by avoiding unnecessary contact with other people while you're infectious. You should stay off work or school until you're feeling better.

In some people at risk of more serious flu, an annual flu vaccine or antiviral medication may be recommended to help reduce the risk of becoming infected.

• difficulty sleeping

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Symptoms Of The Common Cold

Once they infect the body, viruses spread rapidly. The symptoms of the common cold develop as the immune system responds to eliminate the common cold virus.

While the effects of a common cold are usually mild and resolve without treatment, they can be irritating and disruptive.

Symptoms of the common cold include:

• congestion in the nose and sinuses

Contagious Before Flu Symptoms

How long are individuals contagious with a cold or flu?

The incubation period is the time between your exposure to the virus to the start of symptoms. This usually lasts between 24 hours and four days.

This means if you are exposed to the influenza virus and become infected, you will start to get flu symptoms, such as fever and body aches, anywhere between 24 hours and four days after the exposure.

The average flu incubation period is about two days.

Since you can be contagious 24 hours before your symptoms appear, you may spread the virus before you even know you have it. Add that to the number of people who try to push through their symptoms and expose others to their germs when they are sick, and it's easy to see why the flu affects so many people each year.

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When You Are Most Contagious

People with the flu are most contagious in the first 3-4 days after their illness begins.

However, some adults can be contagious as early as the day before their symptoms develop.

This is one of the reasons why the flu spreads so easilypeople can sometimes spread the illness before they even know theyre sick.

Healthy adults can remain contagious up to 5-7 days after becoming sick.

Young children and adults with weakened immune systems may be able to spread the virus for an even longer period of time.

How Long Am I Contagious A Guide Of The Common Viruses

Posted on by Burt's – Health

How long am I contagious? If this is your question, here is what to know about the common viruses.

During the cold winter months, we all are very conscious about protecting ourselves from cold and flu. COVID-19 has proven to be a major blow and led most of us to think how long are we contagious after catching a cold, flu, cough, or bronchitis?

In this article, we are going to discuss exactly that so you can protect yourself and your loved ones. Without further ado, lets jump straight into the guide for common viruses.

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How Long Are You Contagious With The Flu

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According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention , about 8% of the U.S. population, or roughly 30 million people, get sick with influenza each flu season, which spans fall and winter with peaks typically lasting from December through February.

Though many people only experience mild to moderate symptoms, the flu can develop into a more serious illness, sometimes requiring hospitalization.

Understanding how to spot the symptoms of the flu and for how long you may be contagious can help prevent the chance of spreading the illness to those around you.

In fact, there are several strategies that can help you and your loved ones stay safe and stop the spread of the flu, including limiting person-to-person contact, washing hands thoroughly and frequently, ventilating indoor spaces, and getting the annual flu vaccine.

Read on to learn more about signs youre contagious with the flu, how to stop the spread, when to see a doctor, and more.

How Long Should You Quarantine If You Have The Flu

The CDC recommends quarantining for 45 days from the onset of symptoms. This is a good general rule for individuals with healthy immune systems, as this period is usually when a person is most contagious.

If you have the flu, it may also be advisable to allow yourself the time to quarantine to both protect others and recover well in order to protect yourself from a secondary infection or prolonged illness.

However, many people experience economic necessity or job insecurity that requires them to return to work sooner than ideal for their health. If you must leave quarantine early, it may be best to use a mask to protect others.

Using a mask for 7 full days is also advisable if you have close contact with any infants, older adults, or people with weak immune systems.

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How Long Is Someone With The Flu Contagious

With flu season making it's earliest start in years, and certain strains of the virus hitting unlucky Americans hard this year, its important to be extra vigilant in your efforts to avoid catching it.

I recently got this question emailed to me by a concerned viewer:

Q: When is someone who has the flu contagious?

Some people who are infected with the influenza virus can actually transmit the illness before they begin to feel any symptoms.

Most of the time, you will become contagious about 24 to 72 hours after contracting the influenza virus and remain that way for up to five days after the onset of symptoms.

But children or people with compromised immune systems can be contagious to those around them for up to two weeks.

Flu is most commonly spread by coming into contact with respiratory moisture droplets from an infected person through sneezing or coughing.

Touching a surface tainted with respiratory droplets and then putting your hands up to your nose or mouth can also infect you.

Flu symptoms include:

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How Does The Flu Spread

Influenza is spread through droplets, which means if you cough, sneeze, or get any droplet matter from your respiratory system onto anything, it can be spread to someone else.

During the cold winter months, the flu spreads rapidly. Contrary to popular belief, it's not due to cold weather. Although the cold, dry air may mean the virus moves and infects people more easily, it does not actually cause the illness.

When To Return To School Or Work

How long is my flu contagious?

It can be tempting to return to normal activities as soon as you start to feel better, but its important to wait until you can no longer risk spreading the virus to others.

You should wait to return to school or work until 24 hours have passed since your fever has broken.

If the fever only goes away with medication, continue to stay home until your fever has resolved on its own and your symptoms are improving.

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Is The Flu Vaccine Safe For Kids With Allergies

Even though the flu vaccine contains egg protein, most children with egg and other food allergies can be immunized safely with a few basic precautions.

Children with established diagnoses of severe egg allergy should not be immunized without consulting a pediatric allergist. Most, however, can be vaccinated safely after a skin-prick test to the vaccine itself to gauge the risk for a reaction. Children with suspected yet unconfirmed allergies and those with mild egg allergies can usually be vaccinated in their pediatricians office.

An estimated 2 percent to 3 percent of U.S. children are allergic to eggs. Leaving them unprotected against the flu can lead to many unnecessary yet preventable infections and hospitalizations. Many children with food allergies also have asthma, putting them at even higher risk for complications from the flu. Pediatricians should make special efforts to vaccinate those at high risk for complications, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics .

How Can You Keep Others From Catching Your Cold

You come into contact with viruses all the time. Thats why its helpful to understand how to prevent spreading or contracting the virus when youre most contagious. A cold usually is not contagious after a week.

When youre sick, stay at home if possible. Also, be sure to always cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze. To help stop spreading the virus, place your nose into the inside of your elbow if you dont have a tissue. Make sure to dispose of any used tissues immediately.

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How Long Is The Flu Contagious

Michael Menna, DO, is a board-certified, active attending emergency medicine physician at White Plains Hospital in White Plains, New York.

The flu is most contagious from 24 hours before symptoms begin through the first three to five days of the illness. However, it can remain contagious for up to 10 days after symptoms start.

Antiviral medication like Tamiflu may shorten the contagious period, but it's uncertain by how much.

How Long Do Cold And Flu Symptoms Last

When suffering from cold and flu symptoms, how long youll feel unwell will vary from person to person. As a general rule, most people recover from the common cold within seven to ten days, while flu symptoms may last five to seven days.8 Although both cold and flu symptoms are incredibly similar, in general the flu is worse than the common cold and symptoms are more intense. Colds are usually more mild than the flu and dont often result in serious health problems that lead to hospitalizations.10 Because flu symptoms can be more intense, flu vaccinations are strongly recommended in order to protect yourself and others from the flu. If you catch the flu while vaccinated, flu shots can minimize the effects of the flu. For people who have received the annual flu shot, the symptoms may last for a shorter amount of time or be less severe.8

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Am I Contagious With A Fever

People need to be fever free for 24 hours without the help of a fever-reducing medication before they return to work or school, Pittman said. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, school nurses are advised to send children home that have a temperature of 100.4 degrees or greater. The same rule of thumb goes for adults too. You need to stay home if you have had a temperature of 100.4 degrees in the past day.

A low-grade fever is any temperature above 98.6 degrees but below 100.4 degrees. Pittman says low-grade fevers are a good thing, because your body is actively fighting an infection.

If you have a low-grade fever, and you feel fine, you can participate in your usual day-to-day activities, but you need to listen to your body. She recommends if you start to feel achy, begin to sweat or develop a headache, then take your temperature again, then go home. The same recommendation goes for children.

Can You Get Influenza B Twice

The most worrisome part of a double-barreled flu season is that you can get sick twice. Just because you caught a B-strain flu doesn't mean that you're immune from the A strains. There will be the rare person who gets two flu infections in the same season one with B and one with H1N1, Schaffner said.

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Treating Cold And Flu

Both cold and flu cause symptoms that can disrupt daily life. In most cases, viral infections run their course relatively quickly without any treatment.

Many people find relief after treating the symptoms of these illnesses, however. A wide range of drugs help treat the symptoms of cold and flu. These are available over the counter .

There is also a selection of cold and flu medication available for purchase online.

These medications may be useful if severe symptoms make normal function difficult. In some people with influenza, doctors may prescribe antiviral medications.

Some people choose to take preventive action against flu in the form of vaccines. Creating a vaccine for a constantly evolving virus is difficult.

However, the CDC report that the vaccine reduces the risk of contracting the flu by

What Is The Contagious Period For Flu

How Long Are Cold, Flu Symptoms Contagious?

Many healthy adults can transmit a flu virus 1 day before they start to experience symptoms. The contagious period can then continue up to 7 days after an adult becomes ill.

However, children or people with weakened immune systems may be contagious for a period longer than the suggested 7 days.

Influenza also has an incubation period, meaning the time that passes between exposure to the virus and the onset of symptoms. The incubation period for influenza tends to be around 2 days but can range anywhere from 14 days.

Due to this, the contagious period for the flu may include 1 day before the onset of symptoms to around 7 days after symptoms first appear or more.

Additionally, people can have a flu infection without symptoms and still pass the virus to others during this time.

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