How Long Is the Flu Contagious?

January 3rd, 2020 by Shusree Mukherjee in Health

Today’s fast-paced world with billions going to work and commuting together creates many kinds of infections. The most common form of infection is the flu. Whenever you get infected with flu, you may wonder how long is the flu contagious. It depends entirely on the person’s age and his/her immune system. People with weak immune systems like elderly adults and children have more chances of catching the flu. Here, we will give you a clear idea of how long you can be infectious, how to prevent the condition, and more.

Table of Contents

How Long Is the Flu Contagious After Taking Tamiflu?

Most people confuse flu with cold and take wrong medications that can or may not cure the infection. Mostly, antibiotics are prescribed to patients that help their bodies to recover quickly. Antibiotics and antibacterial medicines help your body to function normally while recovering from the infection.

Medicines like Tamiflu are often prescribed to patients. It helps them to relieve themselves from body pain and muscle soreness. So, how long is the flu contagious after taking Tamiflu? Doctors say it depends from person to person. Young adults have the potential to recover from their infections quickly. Elderly adults and children can take up to seven days to recover even after taking Tamiflu.

Please note that Tamiflu does not cure or stop the infection immediately. It merely helps you to fight the infection and recover rapidly.

How Long Are You Contagious After Taking Xofluza?

As discussed earlier that taking antibacterial medicines does not mean that a person is no longer contagious. If you are taking antibacterial or antibiotics, you can still spread the infection in your surrounding environment. So, how long is the flu contagious after taking Xofluza?

Baloxavir marboxil or Xofluza is an antibacterial medicine that decreases the recovery time by one day. Adults can recover from flu in a maximum of two to three days after taking Xofluza. This medicine is used to treat the following symptoms of flu:-

Fatigue
Fever
Muscle pain or soreness
Headaches
Cough
Nasal Congestion
Throat pain

Studies on both adults and children have significantly shown impressive results. After, prescribing yourself with Xofluza, you may remain contagious for about two to three days. You fell gradually feel better as the symptoms go away.

Comparing to Tamiflu, Xofluza shows almost the same results. They are of similar compositions and do an excellent job in reducing recovery time. You must always remember to take Xofluza before 48 hours of acquiring the flu or infection. There are also many vaccines for children and adults to help them fight off flu and other contagious bacterial diseases.

How Long Are You Contagious With a Cold?

Though the cold and the flu may seem to share similar characteristics, they are caused by two different viruses. Viruses like the Rhinoviruses cause cold, whereas Influenza viruses cause flu. Usually, you can find yourself contagious even before the cold symptoms appear or develop and can remain contagious up to one week.

How to Know if You Have a Cold or Flu?

If you have been in contact with a person suffering from the flu or cold, it is possible to get infected with the virus, as both are highly contagious diseases. A runny nose, occasional cough, and lethargy are some common characteristics of flu and cold. While cold is a much milder form of infection, the flu symptoms are much more intense with body aches, fever, and nausea.

The symptoms of the common cold can be easily treated without medical attention, unlike the flu. In case you cannot figure out whether you have the flu or common cold, you should consult with a general physician. There are rapid tests available, which can diagnose the nature of the virus that has infected your body. It is possible to come in contact with cold viruses in droplets, which are mostly spread from hand to hand.

How Long Is Flu Contagious After Fever Breaks?

It is difficult to continue regular life and work when you are victimized by the flu virus. Being highly contagious, doctors prevent patients with flu to go out and interact with other people. We have known by now that the flu is contagious a day before the symptoms begin to appear. So, how long is the flu contagious after the fever breaks?

The flu is contagious for almost one week after the fever breaks. During this period it is possible for you to spread the virus to the people around you. Coughing or sneezing emits moisture droplets in the air that carry the flu virus. These infected droplets can invade your system through respiratory tracts. The flu will remain in your system as long as the virus is shared by the people around you.

Flu Symptoms

Influenza is characterized by mild to severe bodily infection that can even cause death in case of fatal conditions. The Influenza or flu can cause significant problems in the nose, throat, and lungs as the virus attacks the respiratory system. Though mild medical care can cure influenza, it can also showcase fatal complications. Some of the common symptoms of the flu are as follows:

High fever
Soreness in throat
Severe headache
Body aches
Exhaustion and tiredness
Continuous coughing
Blocked nose
Nausea

There are many factors that increase the chances of getting flu. A young adult with a strong immune system is less likely to catch a cold or flu. However, some factors such as age and other medical records play an important part in your body’s proper functioning.

People above the age of 65 are more likely to be invaded by influenza viruses and germs. Children under the age of six may even face similar responses from their bodies. Working conditions also play a major role. If you work in a hospital or a clinic you have higher chances of catching any infections.

Chances of Getting Flu If Exposed

Many of us may have different ideas about the word ‘exposure’ here. So, let’s break down the basic meaning of exposure in terms of health. There are two types of close contact:

The first one represents close contact in a household, where you live with one or more persons suffering from flu.
·The second type represents contact within six feet. This contact is made when you kiss or hug an infected person. This also happens when you share eating utensils and commuting in small spaces such as carpooling.

There is no contact or exposure risk when you are in the same place with a person having flu. For example, when you are in a departmental shop or in a school, you don’t have any exposure necessarily. However, elderly adults above the age of 65 have higher chances of antigen exposure. This happens because their immune system weakens as they age.

People under aspirin medication also have higher chances of catching the flu. The same goes for people who suffer from chronic health conditions such as kidney disease, cancer, and AIDS. It is necessary for these people to be careful all the time, as their immune systems are weak.

How Long Does the Flu Last?

How do you know how long is the flu contagious? The flu or influenza is a viral infection that can last up to one week. You can see the symptoms of flu on the first to the third day of the infection. These symptoms can stay up to 6-7 days until the infection is completely cured. However, certain symptoms like coughing and tiredness usually prevail even after the span of one week.

The flu makes your body weak and affects your immunity system adversely. It is possible to feel exhausted and sick even after two weeks of the flu, while the cough may continue up to 8 weeks. In case of other complications, the flu can turn out to be fatal and might require serious medical aid.

Your flu can develop further complications if you are:

a senior citizen
a child below 5 years of age
pregnant or have recently gone through surgery
suffering from an immunity disorder
obese
living in a hospital with other infected patients
suffering from chronic respiratory illnesses
having liver or kidney problems

There are many kinds of influenza strains and subtypes, which sometimes affect the duration of your illness. Studies have shown that Influenza A (H3N2) viruses have caused more fatalities and deaths to children than any other subtype.

Flu Prevention

Prevention, as we know, is always better than cure. When you know how long is the flu contagious, it is easier to find a cure. Though we have a range of antiviral drugs to fight flu, it is always recommended to adopt a healthy lifestyle that will prevent the attack of influenza viruses. You can prevent the seasonal flu with periodic vaccinations recommended by your physician. Other than that, you can adhere to the following points to ensure a healthy lifestyle that strengthens your immunity and protects your body from the influenza virus:

Maintain safe distance: You must remain at a safe distance from people affected by the influenza virus. You must avoid close contact with anybody when you are affected by the virus.
Remain inside the house when affected by the virus: It is important that you remain inside the house when infected with the flu virus in order to avoid risking spreading it to other people. The dust and germs in the outside environment will also make it difficult for your body to heal.
Stay properly covered: It is vital to keep your nose and mouth covered properly whenever you go outside as the air around us has chances of being infected by the influenza virus.
Keep your hands clean: The most common way of spreading flu is through hand contact. Therefore, it is advised to keep your hands clean at all times and avoid putting it inside your mouth.
Stick to a nutritional diet: It is necessary to ensure a proper nutritional diet that would help you to boost your immunity system. Your body needs adequate strength the fight the flu virus and you should ensure it by eating healthy foods.

Tips to Prevent Flu in Workplaces

It is important to know how long is the flu contagious. Seasonal flu is one of the most common causes of missing work and we must handle it more practically in order to prevent it in the workplace. Ensuring a clean and safe environment for the employees of a workplace is of primary concern and therefore every office must adopt a certain precautionary measure to prevent the flu.

Tips to prevent flu in the workplace

Encourage taking leaves during illnesses: Sick employees tend to be much less productive in working spaces. Not only that, they run the risk of spreading their germs and virus to other people working in the same environment. Always encourage your employees to take a leave when they are affected by a contagious disease like the flu.
Conduct regular cleaning and disinfecting processes for high touch surfaces: Every workplace should maintain regular cleaning and disinfecting processes, especially of areas that are frequently touched or used by people. Areas like the staircase railings, keyboards, switchboards, and bathrooms need to be disinfected multiple times on a daily basis to prevent spreading germs and viruses.
Conduct workshops to promote hygiene: Provide ample information and knowledge to your employees regarding hygienic practices that you must carry out to protect the sanctity of your workplace. Conduct regular workshops for training your employees on the basic prevention methods, especially regarding seasonal flu.
Practice hand hygiene: Influenza virus spreads mostly through hand contact. Hence, it is vital to practice hand hygiene in the workplace. Provide hand sanitizers to your employees so that they can keep their hands disinfected at all times.
Arrange for anti-flu vaccinations on site: They are plenty of vaccinations available that help in the prevention and cure of flu. It is highly recommended to host periodic vaccination camps at the office for employees. It will ensure a safe workspace for all the employees and also increase their productivity by ensuring their health on a year-round basis.