How long are you contagious when you’re sick? (2024)

FAQs

How long are you contagious when you’re sick? ›

You are contagious for the entire period of time symptoms are present, all the way until they disappear. Keep in mind, however, when your symptoms are at their worst - generally the first two to three days - you are at your most infectious. Vaccine available? Currently, there's no vaccine for the common cold.

If you're worried about spreading your cold, stay home to avoid exposing others to the cold-causing virus. However, you don't need to stay home for the entire duration of the cold. Schmidt says to stay home during the first two to three days of symptoms when the cold is especially transmittable.

All employees should stay home if they are sick until for at least 24 hours, both are true: their symptoms are getting better overall and they have not had a fever* (temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or 37.8 degrees Celsius or higher) and are not using fever-reducing medication (e.g., medicines that contain ...

You are often most contagious for the first few days when your symptoms are most severe. Cold symptoms usually get better over seven days, after which you are likely not contagious.

Germs spread this way. Try to avoid close contact with sick people. Stay home if you are sick for 7 days after your symptoms begin or until you have been symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer. This is to keep from infecting others and spreading the virus further.

Even if mild symptoms remain, you are likely not contagious after 10 days. However, if you have a weakened immune system or severe illness (requiring hospitalization, intensive care or even intubation), you can be contagious for up to three weeks or more.

Colds are contagious for the first three days, so anyone who comes down with a cold should stay home for at least that amount of time.

Diarrhoea and vomiting can spread easily

Stay off school or work until you've not been sick or had diarrhoea for at least 2 days.

But unless you've got other symptoms like aches or fever, get dressed and go to work! If you've been sick for a few days and you now cough up darker yellow mucus, it's still probably just a cold. But if it goes on this way for more than a week, it's a good idea to see your doctor.

You should go back to work as soon as you feel able to and with your employer's agreement. This may be before the end date on your fit note. For example, you may want to go back to work sooner if: you've recovered from your illness or injury sooner than expected.

How long should I quarantine after being sick? ›

You may discontinue home isolation when at least five days have passed since the date of your first positive COVID-19 diagnostic test and you have no subsequent illness. You should also: Wear a well-fitting mask around others for a full 10 days following the onset of symptoms.

Period of Contagiousness

People with flu are most contagious during the first 3 days of their illness. Some otherwise healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning one day before symptoms develop and up to five to seven days after becoming sick.

Coughing caused by bacterial or viral upper respiratory infections are contagious, but coughing caused by disorders like asthma and COPD is not. Cough is not a disease in itself, but a symptom of an underlying medical condition.

Even if you try your best to stay healthy when someone in the house has the flu, there's still a chance that you'll become infected. The flu causes symptoms that range from mild to severe, and if you live with certain medical conditions such as heart disease, getting the flu can increase your risk of complications.

A sore throat is often a sign of contagious illness, including colds, strep throat, and influenza. 4 In these cases, you should stay home from work. However, if you often experience a sore throat due to allergies, acid reflux, or dry air, or if you overused your voice the prior day, there is no need to call in sick.

If you wake up with a headache, it may be a cold or flu, especially if you have other symptoms such as sneezing, stuffy nose, and body aches. You may need to stay home a day or two while you're most contagious and feel the worst.

If you have a cold or the flu and have moist and frequent coughing, you are still contagious and the cough will spread the virus to those around you. 4 In this case, it is best to stay home until the cough calms down or does not bring up phlegm. Frequent, deep coughing is disruptive to the work environment.

If you're sick, stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone. That lowers your chance of infecting others.

Cold infections, which affect the upper respiratory tract (nose, sinuses, and throat), progress through four stages: incubation, early symptoms, peak symptoms, and recovery. You may develop different symptoms at each stage.