If I'm at the End of My Cold Can I Get Another One
Editor's note: Nosotros've updated this popular influenza and cold Q & A from December 2022 because, well, good advice is timeless.
With flu season budgeted and cold flavor already well underway, how can you contrivance viral infections or limit their spread to colleagues and loved ones? For tips, we again turned to Dr. Steve Pergam, assistant fellow member of the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Partitioning at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and director of infection prevention at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. He updated his advice from last year, took a strong stand on getting the flu vaccine and helped bust some common cold and influenza myths, such as:
1. Tin can you lot catch a common cold from being cold?
I don't think there's any information to support that. It has more to practice with being indoors, congregating in close proximity. Plus the winter flavour is when many major respiratory viruses circulate in the U.Due south., similar influenza A/B and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, the cause of "croup" in young kids.
2. Is it true that people are nigh contagious before they know they're sick?
Respiratory viruses are best engineered to spread when y'all have concrete symptoms. So the more symptomatic you are — the more yous sneeze and cough — the more likely yous are to spread an infection. You ever watch a sneeze in slow motion? I am a large 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 can shed virus that can infect others fifty-fifty when yous are asymptomatic.
3. And then how long are people contagious?
For flu, it'due south i mean solar day earlier symptoms, and 5 to seven days afterwards the onset of symptoms. It tin be as long as 10 days. Young children and patients with altered immune symptoms tin shed the virus for longer periods of time. Flu can shed for months in high-risk os marrow transplant recipients.
4. If you have just a mild cold, are you less infectious?
Only considering you have mild symptoms doesn't mean the virus is mild. It may just mean that your immune system controls the infection. And then information technology's important to recollect that even with minimal symptoms, Yeah, y'all can still infect others. Many of these "mild colds" can make other people really sick, especially if they take weakened immune systems. Every bit I often tell people, a simple common cold is rarely unproblematic in loftier-take a chance patients.
5. What is the general radius that people tin can spread their common cold or influenza germs? If I'm in a work pod three feet from someone with a cold, am I toast?
When you lot sneeze or coughing, you're producing thousands of particles of a size that tin can transmit flu. A written report washed at Wake Forest School of Medicine looked at the distance sneeze and cough particles can travel. It was about 6 feet. To infect someone, these particles don't have to be breathed in, they just have to become into any mucosal surface — optics, mouth or nose. In add-on, drops spread past getting on surfaces such equally door handles. That's one of the reasons nosotros tell people to cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze and to wash their hands oft. Too cease touching your face!
half dozen. What's the all-time fashion to cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze?
Cough or sneeze into the cheat of your elbow or preferably into a Kleenex, which you lot toss, and then wash your hands afterwards. If you sneeze into your hand and so affect something, yous can spread the virus. I also encourage people to but stay habitation when they're sick — the more yous limit exposures, the less likely yous are spread the virus.
7. Easily are bad, correct?
Washing your hands or using alcohol-based hand gel is a cornerstone of respiratory virus prevention. Your hands touch on elevator buttons, public transport rails, all the dissimilar places yous go along a daily basis, then you lot bear upon your face hundreds of times a day. I have a canteen of hand gel with me at all times. You can't finish yourself all the time, but be more aware of whether your easily are make clean before you start rubbing your eyes.
8. How far does avoiding touching bath doors get y'all?
Although it'due 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 Affliction." You never know whether the person before you done their hands or not. If you lot e'er lookout man anyone wash their hands, information technology can be quite cursory. Sometimes they don't fifty-fifty utilise lather or accept just iii seconds. Whenever you can, when you're washing your hands, apply a paper towel to turn off the sink, open the door, then toss the towel away. That's the ideal.
9. How long should you wash your hands? I've heard you should sing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat," but I suspect I sing information technology too fast.
Endeavor "Happy altogether to you." Sing it twice. About people rub two easily together and call back they're done. We miss our thumbs, our wrists, under rings and jewelry, under fingernails, the backs of our hands. At that place are multiple steps. There are videos out there that show you how to wash your hands. It'south the aforementioned with hand gel. Make sure yous go enough manus gel to cover your hands.
x. What almost facial masks? Do they assistance at all?
Although you oft see people wearing a mask in public places to avoid getting the flu, information technology's not clear that it provides a lot of benefit. We recommend that patients with agile symptoms wear them in the clinic to forbid spreading respiratory droplets. But you have to wear them correctly. And their effectiveness is limited once they become wet from coughing, sneezing or the humidification in airways.
Update: Masks and Respiratory Viruses Editor's notation, Oct. 11, 2021: Since this story was first published, COVID-19 arose and mask-wearing became an of import 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 discussion around masks has changed dramatically over the last yr and a half. Previously, if you had asked me, I would take been less pro-mask during respiratory virus flavor, but as the COVID-19 pandemic has spread, at that place are more information 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 single-ply cloth masks) and how well the encompass the face up (they need to cover the olfactory organ and oral cavity) simply, regardless, I call up there is a role for protecting patients when in large gatherings or out in public spaces. What will be interesting will be to run into if what has happened during the pandemic will go on for years to come. However, for cancer patients, I run across potential advantages and few, if whatsoever, downsides to their utilize.
11. Why practise people often get a cold after flying on a aeroplane?
When you lot're sitting in shut proximity to others for 12 hours, you're more likely to exist exposed to respiratory droplets. Information technology's really express to the seats around you, not the whole plane. I sat next to somebody with a cold, and I was as careful as I could exist — washing my hands, using hand sanitizer. Afterwards a 10-hour flying I was sure I was going get a common cold — and I did.
12. In what way is having kids like flying on a plane?
The bulk of people get colds and influenza from beingness in close proximity to someone with an active cold, who's sneezing and coughing. That's why with young 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 mouth, don't accept adept 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 flavour. We meet the flavor happening in kids offset.
thirteen. How can you tell if you've got a common cold or the flu?
Runny nose, sore throat, fever, sneezing, cough and musculus hurting are common symptoms seen in a whole host of viral infections. But flu is different from a bad cold. It often includes a fever and a feeling of malaise or muscle pains. Y'all feel really wiped out. If you are concerned, come across your doctor for a quick test to see if you have flu or if it's beneficial to get treated. Certainly, if you are a cancer patient, see your doctor even if you lot take minor symptoms.
14. What nigh the 'breadbasket flu?'
That'south non flu. Really young kids tin can become nausea and vomiting with influenza, simply there are always respiratory symptoms. When you hear "tummy influenza," nausea and vomiting, call back Norovirus. It is very contagious and then frequently it will run through the whole family.
15. Whatever thought what kind of influenza season it's going to exist this year?
Sporadic cases have been seen, but it is not actually spreading dramatically in the U.Due south. yet. Information technology usually starts on the East Coast and moves Due west. Getting your flu shot now is ideal because you need two weeks to develop a full immune response.
16. And then it's a expert idea to become a influenza vaccine?
It is the all-time manner to protect yourself from getting the influenza. It isn't perfect only it tin often cut your chances of getting influenza past about l percent (depending on the season). Unfortunately, we don't have vaccines for other respiratory viruses. But I get my flu shot every year, as practise all the physicians at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance — we all know how of import getting the vaccine is to protecting our families, our friends and our patients. SCCA and Fred Hutch provide gratis influenza vaccine for our staff. In addition, nosotros provide vaccine for patients and requite it gratuitous to family members and caregivers when they come up with patients to the clinic.
17. What about the high-dose vaccine?
A high-dose flu vaccine has been shown in studies to provide ameliorate protection for people 65 years and older. I recommended it to my ain parents — who both get vaccinated. The one down side is it but covers three strains of flu while the normal vaccine covers four. Futurity studies should help the states meliorate understand whether loftier-dose vaccine is beneficial for cancer patients.
xviii. Why did the CDC stop recommending flu mist for children?
The flu mist, or live-adulterate flu vaccine, is a weakened course of the flu virus that can be given through the nose. It was thought to work well in kids, but recent data suggests that it may non provide enough immune response to some strains of influenza. The CDC does not recommend information technology equally an choice for vaccination this year. The only option is the influenza shot.
xix. Tin can you get the flu from the flu vaccine ?
Admittedly non. The vaccine has components of the inactivated virus, only it's non the virus. Minor side effects tin can exist a little agonized or arm swelling, but it lasts a mean solar day or two at most. As 1 of the most utilized vaccines in the world, information technology has one of best safety profiles of annihilation 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 away from blaming vaccines for a very serious disorder when scientific discipline has, again and again, shown this not to be the case. Unfortunately, many withal believe this discredited link. As for Guillain-Barre syndrome (a rare neurologic affliction), you are more likely to get information technology if you get the flu than if y'all get the vaccine. Vaccines are well studied and very safe. I get mine every yr and so does everyone in my family.
21. Does drinking orange juice or taking vitamin C aid foreclose colds and influenza? What about Airborne products or zinc?
There'due south non slap-up information. Is information technology vitamin C that provides the benefit or drinking lot of orange juice? Probably the liquids. Eating healthy foods and getting lots of rest are important, even so.
22. Is at that place any treatment for a cold or flu?
If y'all have flu, there'southward Tamiflu, or oseltamivir [prescription antiretroviral drugs]. We don't recommend them for everyone but nosotros do advise them for people with chronic health conditions, cancer or for a transplant patient at risk for complications. I adopt that y'all never demand medications — get the vaccine instead. For most other respiratory viruses, there are no treatments, so prevention and limiting manual are key.
23. Is in that location annihilation yous tin can practice to treat a common cold?
The all-time things you can do are rest and become adequate fluids. Take it easy, don't exert yourself. Encompass your coughs and sneezing. And stay domicile and so yous limit exposing others to the infection.
24. What nigh chicken soup?
If null else, information technology provides a diverseness of nutritional benefits, a off-white amount of liquids, and it tin be very soothing to take something warm. I know I love information technology when I feel sick — along with ginger ale. It reminds me of when I was a child. In that location are no downsides to it.
Have y'all been hit by a cold or flu this season? Tell united states of america about it on Facebook.
0 Response to "If I'm at the End of My Cold Can I Get Another One"
Post a Comment