If You and Wife Both Get Cold Can You Catch It Again From Each Other
Editor'due south note: We've updated this popular flu and cold Q & A from December 2015 because, well, good advice is timeless.
With flu season approaching and cold flavour already well underway, how can you contrivance viral infections or limit their spread to colleagues and loved ones? For tips, we once again turned to Dr. Steve Pergam, assistant member of the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Sectionalisation at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Eye and director of infection prevention at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. He updated his advice from last year, took a strong stand up on getting the flu vaccine and helped bosom some mutual cold and influenza myths, such as:
1. Can you catch a cold from being cold?
I don't call back in that location's any data to support that. It has more to do with being indoors, congregating in close proximity. Plus the winter flavor is when many major respiratory viruses circulate in the U.S., like influenza A/B and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, the cause of "croup" in young kids.
2. Is information technology true that people are most contagious before they know they're sick?
Respiratory viruses are best engineered to spread when y'all have physical symptoms. So the more than symptomatic y'all are — the more you sneeze and cough — the more probable you are to spread an infection. You ever watch a sneeze in slow motion? I am a big fan of this video, which gives you a sense of what happens and all the particles you produce with a sneeze. That said, viruses are clever: Yous tin can shed virus that tin can infect others fifty-fifty when you are asymptomatic.
3. So how long are people contagious?
For influenza, it's one day before symptoms, and 5 to vii days subsequently the onset of symptoms. Information technology can be as long equally 10 days. Immature children and patients with contradistinct immune symptoms tin can shed the virus for longer periods of time. Flu can shed for months in high-hazard bone marrow transplant recipients.
four. If you have only a mild cold, are you less infectious?
But considering you accept mild symptoms doesn't hateful the virus is balmy. It may just mean that your allowed arrangement controls the infection. So it'due south important to remember that even with minimal symptoms, Aye, you lot tin notwithstanding infect others. Many of these "mild colds" can make other people really ill, especially if they take weakened immune systems. As I ofttimes tell people, a simple cold is rarely simple in high-risk patients.
five. What is the full general radius that people tin can spread their cold or flu germs? If I'm in a piece of work pod 3 feet from someone with a cold, am I toast?
When you sneeze or cough, yous're producing thousands of particles of a size that can transmit influenza. A study done at Wake Forest School of Medicine looked at the distance sneeze and cough particles can travel. It was most 6 feet. To infect someone, these particles don't have to be breathed in, they just have to get into whatever mucosal surface — optics, oral fissure or nose. In addition, drops spread by getting on surfaces such every bit door handles. That'due south one of the reasons we tell people to comprehend their mouths when they cough or sneeze and to launder their hands often. Also stop touching your face!
6. What's the best manner to cover your rima oris when you lot cough or sneeze?
Coughing or sneeze into the crook of your elbow or preferably into a Kleenex, which yous toss, and then wash your easily afterwards. If you lot sneeze into your manus then bear on something, you tin spread the virus. I also encourage people to but stay home when they're sick — the more you limit exposures, the less probable you are spread the virus.
vii. Easily are bad, right?
Washing your hands or using alcohol-based hand gel is a cornerstone of respiratory virus prevention. Your hands touch elevator buttons, public transport rail, all the different places yous become on a daily basis, then you lot affect your confront hundreds of times a day. I have a bottle of hand gel with me at all times. Y'all tin't finish yourself all the time, but be more aware of whether your hands are make clean before you lot start rubbing your eyes.
8. How far does avoiding touching bathroom doors get y'all?
Although it's 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 "Winter Airsickness Illness." You never know whether the person before y'all washed their hands or not. If y'all ever watch anyone wash their easily, it can be quite cursory. Sometimes they don't fifty-fifty utilize lather or have just 3 seconds. Whenever you can, when you're washing your easily, use a paper towel to plough off the sink, open the door, and then toss the towel abroad. That's the ideal.
nine. How long should you launder your hands? I've heard you should sing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat," but I suspect I sing it likewise fast.
Endeavour "Happy birthday to you." Sing it twice. Most people rub two easily together and call up they're washed. Nosotros miss our thumbs, our wrists, nether rings and jewelry, under fingernails, the backs of our hands. There are multiple steps. There are videos out there that show you how to launder your hands. It's the aforementioned with hand gel. Make sure y'all get plenty hand gel to cover your hands.
10. What well-nigh facial masks? Do they help at all?
Although yous often see people wearing a mask in public places to avoid getting the flu, it's not clear that it provides a lot of benefit. We recommend that patients with active symptoms habiliment them in the dispensary to forbid spreading respiratory aerosol. But y'all have to clothing them correctly. And their effectiveness is express once they get moisture from coughing, sneezing or the humidification in airways.
Update: Masks and Respiratory Viruses Editor'south annotation, Oct. 11, 2021: Since this story was first published, COVID-19 arose and mask-wearing became an important public health tool. So we asked Pergam to revisit his earlier comments on masks in this story. Here's what he had to say: The give-and-take around masks has changed dramatically over the final year and a half. Previously, if yous had asked me, I would have been less pro-mask during respiratory virus flavour, but as the COVID-19 pandemic has spread, there are more than data that masks provide additional protection. They aren't perfect and the protection varies by the quality of the mask (Due north-95/KN-95s are better than unmarried-ply cloth masks) and how well the comprehend the confront (they need to cover the nose and mouth) but, regardless, I call back there is a role for protecting patients when in large gatherings or out in public spaces. What volition be interesting will be to see if what has happened during the pandemic will go on for years to come. However, for cancer patients, I run into potential advantages and few, if whatever, downsides to their use.
11. Why do people oft get a cold afterwards flying on a plane?
When you lot're sitting in close proximity to others for 12 hours, you're more than probable to exist exposed to respiratory aerosol. Information technology's really express to the seats effectually you, non the whole plane. I sat next to somebody with a common cold, and I was equally careful every bit I could be — washing my hands, using paw sanitizer. Afterwards a 10-60 minutes flying I was certain I was going get a cold — and I did.
12. In what way is having kids similar flight on a plane?
The bulk of people get colds and influenza from being in shut proximity to someone with an agile cold, who'south sneezing and coughing. That's why with young kids in a family, the cold goes through the whole family. Also, kids are viral factories: They oftentimes have viral loads that are higher than adults. They oft don't comprehend their nose and mouth, don't take good hand hygiene, they hang out together at daycare and schoolhouse. They're the starting and catastrophe place for lots of respiratory viruses during the common cold flavor. We come across the flavour happening in kids beginning.
thirteen. How can you tell if you've got a cold or the influenza?
Runny nose, sore throat, fever, sneezing, coughing and muscle pain are mutual symptoms seen in a whole host of viral infections. But influenza is unlike from a bad cold. It frequently includes a fever and a feeling of malaise or muscle pains. Yous feel really wiped out. If you are concerned, see your medico for a quick test to encounter if you take influenza or if information technology's beneficial to go treated. Certainly, if you lot are a cancer patient, run across your doctor even if you have small symptoms.
14. What about the 'stomach influenza?'
That's not influenza. Really young kids tin go nausea and vomiting with influenza, but there are always respiratory symptoms. When you hear "stomach flu," nausea and airsickness, call up Norovirus. Information technology is very contagious and so often information technology will run through the whole family.
xv. Whatever thought what kind of influenza flavour it'southward going to be this year?
Sporadic cases have been seen, but it is non really spreading dramatically in the U.S. yet. Information technology usually starts on the Due east Declension and moves Westward. Getting your flu shot now is ideal because you need two weeks to develop a full immune response.
16. So it's a good idea to get a flu vaccine?
Information technology is the best way to protect yourself from getting the flu. It isn't perfect but it can oftentimes cut your chances of getting influenza by well-nigh 50 per centum (depending on the season). Unfortunately, we don't have vaccines for other respiratory viruses. Only I go my flu shot every year, as do all the physicians at the Seattle Cancer Care Brotherhood — we all know how important getting the vaccine is to protecting our families, our friends and our patients. SCCA and Fred Hutch provide gratuitous flu vaccine for our staff. In addition, we provide vaccine for patients and give it complimentary 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 information technology to my ain parents — who both go vaccinated. The one down side is it only covers three strains of influenza while the normal vaccine covers four. Hereafter studies should help u.s.a. meliorate understand whether high-dose vaccine is beneficial for cancer patients.
xviii. Why did the CDC cease recommending flu mist for children?
The flu mist, or live-attenuated influenza vaccine, is a weakened course of the influenza virus that can exist given through the nose. Information technology 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 equally an option for vaccination this year. The simply option is the influenza shot.
19. Can yous get the flu from the flu vaccine ?
Absolutely non. The vaccine has components of the inactivated virus, simply it's not the virus. Pocket-sized side furnishings can be a little aching or arm swelling, but it lasts a day or two at nearly. As one of the most utilized vaccines in the world, it has ane of all-time safety profiles of anything we practice in healthcare.
20. What about claims that vaccines are linked to autism?
This has been well studied and there are no links. We demand to move away from blaming vaccines for a very serious disorder when science has, again and again, shown this non to be the example. Unfortunately, many yet believe this discredited link. Equally for Guillain-Barre syndrome (a rare neurologic illness), you are more probable to get information technology if y'all get the flu than if you go the vaccine. Vaccines are well studied and very prophylactic. I go mine every year and so does anybody in my family.
21. Does drinking orange juice or taking vitamin C assistance prevent colds and flu? What about Airborne products or zinc?
There's not great data. Is it vitamin C that provides the benefit or drinking lot of orange juice? Probably the liquids. Eating healthy foods and getting lots of residual are of import, nevertheless.
22. Is there any treatment for a cold or influenza?
If y'all have influenza, there's Tamiflu, or oseltamivir [prescription antiretroviral drugs]. We don't recommend them for everyone but we exercise suggest them for people with chronic wellness weather, cancer or for a transplant patient at risk for complications. I prefer that you lot never need medications — get the vaccine instead. For most other respiratory viruses, in that location are no treatments, so prevention and limiting transmission are primal.
23. Is there annihilation you tin do to treat a cold?
The best things y'all can do are rest and get adequate fluids. Accept information technology easy, don't exert yourself. Cover your coughs and sneezing. And stay home then you limit exposing others to the infection.
24. What about chicken soup?
If nothing else, information technology provides a variety of nutritional benefits, a off-white amount of liquids, and it can exist very soothing to have something warm. I know I honey it when I feel ill — along with ginger ale. It reminds me of when I was a kid. At that place are no downsides to it.
Have y'all been hit by a cold or influenza this season? Tell us almost it on Facebook.
Source: https://www.fredhutch.org/en/news/center-news/2015/12/separating-fact-from-fiction-about-colds-and-flu.html
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