How contagious is influenza?

Influenza is slowly returning nationwide after it was virtually non-existent last year. University of Michigan is now Influenza pandemic When Virus cases It is starting to creep up nationwide.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, MD, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Press conference Last month, this year’s flu season can be a nuisance. “Last year, there were few cases of influenza, mainly due to precautions such as masking and physical distance taken for the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said. Between October 3, 2020 and July 24, 2021, the CDC released data on 2,136 positive influenza tests out of 1.3 million specimens tested in the clinical laboratory. JAMA.. Influenza-related deaths were 736 last season, compared to an estimated 35 million influenza-related illnesses and 20,000 influenza-related deaths during the 2019-2020 flu season. CDC..

“Because of moderate influenza virus activity since March 2020, CDC influenza experts may be at risk for a serious influenza season this year due to population-level weakness in immunity to seasonal influenza. I’m worried about having sex, “says Dr. Warensky.

Given that for the past two years everyone has stopped and made us think about how we can catch and inherit the disease, we have a hand on how much influenza can be transmitted, especially if we are unlucky. It’s natural to wonder if it can be included. Want to know when you can safely be around others after getting the flu? Here’s what you need to know:

What is influenza?

Influenza (also known as influenza) is a contagious respiratory disease caused by the influenza virus that infects the nose, throat, and lungs. CDC.. There are two main types of influenza virus (types A and B), which usually prevail during the influenza season each year.

Influenza can cause the following symptoms: CDC:

• Feel fever or fever / chills
• cough
• sore throat
• Runny nose or stuffy nose
• Muscle and body pain
• headache
• Malaise
• Vomiting and diarrhea (this is more common in children than in adults)

How does the flu spread?

Influenza is thought to be spread primarily by the droplets that occur when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or speaks. These droplets can land on the mouth or nose of nearby people or be inhaled into the lungs. CDC I will explain. Although less common, you can get the flu by touching a surface or object that has the flu virus and then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes.

How contagious is influenza?

Here is the spectrum. People with the flu are most transmitted 3-4 days after the onset of symptoms. CDC To tell.Most people can infect others for up to a day Before the symptoms start Up to 5-7 days after showing signs of virus. Children and people with weakened immunity can be infected with the virus for more than 7 days.

However, there are some variables involved. “Infectious disease transmission is not switching on and off,” said Amesh A. Adalha, MD, an infectious disease expert and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Health Security Center. “But it’s important to remember that even far away from the onset of symptoms, they can still be transmitted.”

Dr. Thomas Russo, MD, a professor at the University at Buffalo at the University at Buffalo and responsible for infectious diseases, said that taking oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and being vaccinated against the flu could help him get sick and infectious. You should be able to shorten it. Still, he says. “There isn’t much literature on this. For safety, I like to think that I’m infected for up to 7 days.”

Overall, “people are generally most contagious one to four days after getting sick,” said Dr. David Cennimo, an assistant professor of medical infections at Rutgers University of New Jersey Medicine. “This time of maximum infectivity generally coincides with the time of worst symptoms. [and] Infections in most homes occur quickly, “he adds.

If you have the flu and can swing it around, it’s a good idea to stay home for a week to avoid infecting others, says Dr. Cennimo. But if that’s not possible, Dr. Adalja says it’s okay to go on an adventure after getting rid of the fever without using antipyretics for at least 24 hours.

If you are out of the office within 7 days of being diagnosed, Dr. Russo recommends wearing a mask to reduce the risk of the virus spreading to others. “This is especially true when interacting with vulnerable people, such as the elderly, very young people, and pregnant people,” he says.

Also, if you feel better, but aren’t sure if it’s okay to come out again, talk to your doctor. They should be able to provide personalized guidance.

Korin Mirror
Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general health, sexual health and relationships, lifestyle trends, and has appeared in men’s health, women’s health, self, grammar and more. ..

This content is created and maintained by third parties and imported into this page so that users can provide their email address. For more information on this and similar content, please visit piano.io.