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Am I Still Contagious?

Argh, you’re feeling sick again. You don’t want to take off work or go to the doctor if you don’t have to, but you also don’t want to be that person who infects the whole office (substitute “kid” and “classroom,” if applicable). You might have toughed it out before the pandemic, but the etiquette is different now. So how can you be sure about what you have, or if — and for how long — you need to stay home?

Here’s what infectious disease experts want you to know about some of the most common adult and pediatric viruses (and one bacterial infection): their symptoms, how they spread, how to treat them and when you (or your child) can re-enter society.

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Featured

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This information should help you know when your child might get sick if he has been exposed to a disease. The chart also shows the amount of time your child will be contagious.

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Articles of Interest

How Long Am I Contagious?

We’ve heard it in the workplace or at school. We’ve said it to friends and co-workers. We’ve heard it in the workplace or at school. We’ve said it to friends and co-workers. “Don’t worry, I’m not contagious anymore.” You’re contagious before you have symptoms — during the incubation period, when the virus enters your system. And just because you feel better doesn’t mean those around you are safe. In fact, you’re still contagious after symptoms subside.

Am I Contagious?

Those studies show that symptoms are an undependable marker of infectivity. A more reliable guide is the natural course of infection, which can be divided into three phases: incubation (infectious without symptoms), symptomatic/infectious, and recovery (noninfectious with symptoms).

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Just like viruses, health fads such as Peloton, Pilates and Zumba spread rapidly and then fade

Highly Contagious Diseases: Preventing the Spread

Contagious diseases can transfer from person to person either directly, through secretions, through objects that have been touched by the diseased, or even through the air.

How do you know if you are still contagious after an illness?

As for the common cold, there are over 200 viruses that can cause it. The period of infectiousness depends on the virus and on the health of the individual infected, but generally follows a similar pattern to the other viruses discussed. In short, there could be a time before showing symptoms that the person may be contagious, and usually the period of maximal infectiousness is in the three to five days after symptoms begin. However, they may be able to spread the virus for as long as two weeks after infection.

How long am I contagious?

How long should I stay home after being sick? Often, this question comes with an internal back and forth about whether you—or your children—should stay home or not.

How Long Are You Contagious With The Flu?

The CDC says you are contagious one day before you start feeling sick and up to seven days after. If you're a kid, elderly, or have a weak immune system, you can be contagious for even longer.

If Cooties Were Real, What Disease Would They Be?

We all know that cooties aren’t real (besides, we’ve all been vaccinated as kids so we’re safe). But if they were real, what disease would cooties be?

Is What I Have Contagious?

If you have symptoms of respiratory infection, including cough and fever, it's best to assume you are contagious, and you should stay at home, away from others.

When Are You Most Contagious With COVID? Experts Explain When You Can Spread The Virus

You may be most contagious *before* symptoms appear.

Resources

Contagious

“Contagious is an informative, enjoyable, and well-researched interdisciplinary work that bridges literary analysis with medical history and goes a long way in explaining our fascination with outbreak narratives. The numerous popular narratives in television and film act as more than examples; they are important ways in which the outbreak narrative establishes a cultural foothold in popular imagination.” — Shayne Pepper, Journal of Popular Culture