If Youre Already Sick Can You Get Sick Again From Being Coughed on
Editor's notation: We've updated this popular flu and common cold Q & A from December 2015 because, well, proficient advice is timeless.
With influenza season approaching and cold season already well underway, how can you dodge viral infections or limit their spread to colleagues and loved ones? For tips, we again turned to Dr. Steve Pergam, assistant member of the Vaccine and Communicable diseases Partitioning at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Inquiry Center and director of infection prevention at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. He updated his communication from concluding yr, took a stiff stand up on getting the flu vaccine and helped bust some common cold and flu myths, such as:
1. Can you take hold of a cold from being common cold?
I don't think at that place's any data to support that. It has more than to practice with being indoors, congregating in shut proximity. Plus the wintertime season is when many major respiratory viruses circulate in the U.S., similar influenza A/B and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, the cause of "croup" in young kids.
2. Is it true that people are about contagious before they know they're sick?
Respiratory viruses are best engineered to spread when y'all accept concrete symptoms. So the more symptomatic you are — the more you sneeze and cough — the more likely y'all are to spread an infection. You e'er picket a sneeze in slow motion? I am a big fan of this video, which gives y'all a sense of what happens and all the particles yous produce with a sneeze. That said, viruses are clever: Y'all can shed virus that tin infect others fifty-fifty when y'all are asymptomatic.
iii. So how long are people contagious?
For flu, it'south one twenty-four hours earlier symptoms, and five to 7 days after the onset of symptoms. It tin be as long every bit 10 days. Immature children and patients with altered immune symptoms can shed the virus for longer periods of fourth dimension. Flu can shed for months in high-take chances bone marrow transplant recipients.
4. If yous have only a mild cold, are you less infectious?
Merely considering you have mild symptoms doesn't hateful the virus is mild. Information technology may just mean that your immune arrangement controls the infection. And then it'south important to remember that even with minimal symptoms, YES, you can still infect others. Many of these "mild colds" can make other people really sick, especially if they accept weakened allowed systems. As I often tell people, a simple cold is rarely simple in high-risk patients.
five. What is the full general radius that people can spread their cold or flu germs? If I'm in a work pod iii feet from someone with a cold, am I toast?
When yous sneeze or cough, y'all're producing thousands of particles of a size that tin transmit influenza. A study done at Wake Forest School of Medicine looked at the distance sneeze and coughing particles can travel. It was about half dozen feet. To infect someone, these particles don't have to be breathed in, they just have to get into any mucosal surface — eyes, mouth or olfactory organ. In addition, drops spread past getting on surfaces such as door handles. That'due south one of the reasons we tell people to cover their mouths when they coughing or sneeze and to launder their hands frequently. Too cease touching your face!
half-dozen. What's the best fashion to cover your mouth when you coughing or sneeze?
Cough or sneeze into the cheat of your elbow or preferably into a Kleenex, which you toss, and then launder your hands later on. If you sneeze into your hand and and then touch something, you can spread the virus. I too encourage people to merely stay home when they're sick — the more than yous limit exposures, the less likely you are spread the virus.
seven. Hands are bad, right?
Washing your hands or using booze-based hand gel is a cornerstone of respiratory virus prevention. Your hands touch lift buttons, public transport rails, all the dissimilar places y'all keep a daily ground, then you bear upon your face hundreds of times a day. I take a bottle of hand gel with me at all times. You can't finish yourself all the time, but exist more than aware of whether your hands are clean before you start rubbing your optics.
8. How far does avoiding touching bathroom doors become you?
Although it'south probably less critical for respiratory viruses, it is important to prevent the spread of other diseases such as Norovirus, a gastrointestinal virus that leads to diarrhea and vomiting and is aptly known as "Wintertime Vomiting Disease." You never know whether the person before you lot washed their hands or non. If you ever sentry anyone wash their hands, information technology tin be quite cursory. Sometimes they don't fifty-fifty apply lather or take just iii seconds. Whenever you tin, when yous're washing your hands, utilize a newspaper towel to turn off the sink, open the door, and then toss the towel away. That'southward the ideal.
9. How long should yous wash your hands? I've heard y'all should sing "Row, Row, Row Your Gunkhole," just I doubtable I sing it likewise fast.
Attempt "Happy altogether to you lot." Sing it twice. Near people rub 2 hands together and think they're done. We miss our thumbs, our wrists, under rings and jewelry, nether fingernails, the backs of our hands. There are multiple steps. In that location are videos out at that place that bear witness yous how to launder your easily. It's the same with hand gel. Make certain you get enough hand gel to cover your hands.
x. What nearly facial masks? Exercise they help at all?
Although you frequently encounter people wearing a mask in public places to avoid getting the flu, information technology'south not clear that it provides a lot of benefit. We recommend that patients with active symptoms wear them in the clinic to foreclose spreading respiratory droplets. Just you accept to wear them correctly. And their effectiveness is express once they go wet from coughing, sneezing or the humidification in airways.
Update: Masks and Respiratory Viruses Editor's note, October. 11, 2021: Since this story was first published, COVID-nineteen arose and mask-wearing became an of import public health tool. So we asked Pergam to revisit his before comments on masks in this story. Hither's what he had to say: The discussion around masks has changed dramatically over the final twelvemonth and a half. Previously, if you had asked me, I would take been less pro-mask during respiratory virus flavour, but every bit the COVID-19 pandemic has spread, there are more data that masks provide additional protection. They aren't perfect and the protection varies by the quality of the mask (Northward-95/KN-95s are amend than single-ply fabric masks) and how well the embrace the face up (they need to cover the nose and mouth) but, regardless, I think there is a role for protecting patients when in large gatherings or out in public spaces. What will be interesting volition exist to see if what has happened during the pandemic volition continue for years to come. Still, for cancer patients, I see potential advantages and few, if any, downsides to their utilise.
11. Why practice people ofttimes get a common cold after flying on a plane?
When you're sitting in close proximity to others for 12 hours, you're more probable to be exposed to respiratory droplets. It's really express to the seats around you, non the whole aeroplane. I sat side by side to somebody with a cold, and I was every bit careful as I could be — washing my hands, using paw sanitizer. After a ten-hour flying I was sure I was going get a common cold — and I did.
12. In what way is having kids similar flying on a airplane?
The majority of people become colds and flu from being in shut proximity to someone with an active cold, who'due south sneezing and coughing. That'southward why with immature kids in a family unit, the cold goes through the whole family. Also, kids are viral factories: They often have viral loads that are higher than adults. They often don't cover their nose and rima oris, don't accept good manus hygiene, they hang out together at daycare and school. They're the starting and ending place for lots of respiratory viruses during the cold flavor. We see the flavor happening in kids first.
13. How can you tell if you've got a cold or the flu?
Runny nose, sore throat, fever, sneezing, cough and muscle pain are mutual symptoms seen in a whole host of viral infections. But influenza is different from a bad cold. Information technology often includes a fever and a feeling of angst or muscle pains. You feel really wiped out. If you are concerned, see your doctor for a quick exam to see if you have influenza or if information technology's beneficial to become treated. Certainly, if you are a cancer patient, see your doctor fifty-fifty if you lot have minor symptoms.
14. What about the 'breadbasket flu?'
That'south not influenza. Really young kids can get nausea and airsickness with flu, merely there are always respiratory symptoms. When y'all hear "breadbasket flu," nausea and vomiting, call back Norovirus. It is very contagious so oftentimes it will run through the whole family.
xv. Any idea what kind of influenza season it's going to be this year?
Sporadic cases accept been seen, only it is not actually spreading dramatically in the U.S. yet. It usually starts on the East Coast and moves Westward. Getting your flu shot now is platonic considering yous demand ii weeks to develop a full immune response.
16. Then it's a good thought to get a flu vaccine?
It is the all-time mode to protect yourself from getting the flu. It isn't perfect but it tin can often cutting your chances of getting influenza past about 50 per centum (depending on the season). Unfortunately, we don't have vaccines for other respiratory viruses. But I get my influenza shot every year, equally practice all the physicians at the Seattle Cancer Intendance Alliance — we all know how important getting the vaccine is to protecting our families, our friends and our patients. SCCA and Fred Hutch provide free flu vaccine for our staff. In addition, we provide vaccine for patients and give it free to family members and caregivers when they come with patients to the dispensary.
17. What about the loftier-dose vaccine?
A high-dose flu vaccine has been shown in studies to provide better protection for people 65 years and older. I recommended it to my ain parents — who both get vaccinated. The one downwards side is it but covers three strains of influenza while the normal vaccine covers four. Hereafter studies should help us improve understand whether high-dose vaccine is beneficial for cancer patients.
18. Why did the CDC terminate recommending flu mist for children?
The flu mist, or live-attenuated flu vaccine, is a weakened form of the influenza virus that can be given through the nose. It was thought to work well in kids, but recent data suggests that it may not provide enough immune response to some strains of influenza. The CDC does not recommend it as an option for vaccination this twelvemonth. The just selection is the flu shot.
19. Can you get the influenza from the influenza vaccine ?
Absolutely not. The vaccine has components of the inactivated virus, only it's not the virus. Modest side effects can be a little aching or arm swelling, but it lasts a day or two at most. As one of the nigh utilized vaccines in the world, it has ane of best safety profiles of anything we do in healthcare.
twenty. What about claims that vaccines are linked to autism?
This has been well studied and there are no links. We need to move abroad from blaming vaccines for a very serious disorder when science has, once again and again, shown this non to be the case. Unfortunately, many still believe this discredited link. As for Guillain-Barre syndrome (a rare neurologic illness), you are more likely to get it if you get the flu than if you become the vaccine. Vaccines are well studied and very prophylactic. I get mine every yr and so does anybody in my family.
21. Does drinking orange juice or taking vitamin C assistance prevent colds and influenza? What well-nigh Airborne products or zinc?
In that location's not bang-up data. Is information technology vitamin C that provides the benefit or drinking lot of orange juice? Probably the liquids. Eating salubrious foods and getting lots of rest are important, however.
22. Is in that location any treatment for a cold or flu?
If you lot have influenza, there's Tamiflu, or oseltamivir [prescription antiretroviral drugs]. We don't recommend them for everyone but nosotros do suggest them for people with chronic wellness conditions, cancer or for a transplant patient at chance for complications. I prefer that you never need medications — go the vaccine instead. For most other respiratory viruses, there are no treatments, so prevention and limiting transmission are key.
23. Is there anything you lot tin practice to care for a common cold?
The best things you can do are residue and get acceptable fluids. Take it like shooting fish in a barrel, don't exert yourself. Cover your coughs and sneezing. And stay home and so you limit exposing others to the infection.
24. What virtually chicken soup?
If nothing else, it provides a diverseness of nutritional benefits, a fair corporeality of liquids, and it can be very soothing to have something warm. I know I beloved information technology when I feel ill — along with ginger ale. It reminds me of when I was a kid. There are no downsides to it.
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Source: https://www.fredhutch.org/en/news/center-news/2015/12/separating-fact-from-fiction-about-colds-and-flu.html
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