How Long Are You Contagious With a Cold, Flu, or COVID-19?

As with a cold, you can spread the flu up to 24 hours before onset of symptoms and for five to seven days after getting sick.

You may be the most contagious during the first three days of your illness.

After that, you may still feel sick because your immune system is activated, but the amount of virus you’re shedding is lower.

“Even though it’s less likely to spread by that point, you are still potentially contagious. To be safe, I would recommend that people wear a mask pretty much the whole time they have upper respiratory symptoms,” Winslow says.

Young children and people with weakened immune systems may stay contagious for longer.

The flu spreads mainly through tiny droplets that release when infected people cough, sneeze, or talk. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people nearby. People can also catch the flu by touching a contaminated surface and then touching their nose or mouth, although that’s less common.

Flu symptoms range from mild to severe and can include:

fever or chills (not everyone with flu will have a fever)

cough

sore throat

runny or stuffy nose

muscle aches

headaches

fatigue

vomiting and diarrhea (though GI symptoms are more common in children than in adults)

Do Flu Shots or Antivirals Shorten Your Contagious Window?

Taking an antiviral such as Tamiflu (oseltamivir) within the first 48 hours of symptom onset probably makes you less contagious, says Winslow. “It definitely reduces the duration of symptoms and also very likely has at least a modest effect on reducing viral shedding because it is an antiviral,” he says.

Flu antivirals require a prescription and work best when started within two days of symptoms beginning.

If you’re at higher risk for complications, it’s worth contacting a healthcare provider as soon as symptoms appear.

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Do Flu Shots or Antivirals Shorten Your Contagious Window?

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