Does Getting the Cold Once Prevent Someone From Getting It Again
Editor's note: We've updated this popular influenza and cold Q & A from December 2015 considering, well, good advice is timeless.
With flu season approaching and common cold season already well underway, how can you dodge viral infections or limit their spread to colleagues and loved ones? For tips, we once more turned to Dr. Steve Pergam, assistant member of the Vaccine and Communicable diseases Division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Heart and director of infection prevention at Seattle Cancer Care Brotherhood. He updated his advice from concluding twelvemonth, took a strong stand on getting the influenza vaccine and helped bust some common common cold and flu myths, such equally:
ane. Tin you catch a common cold from being cold?
I don't recall there's any data to back up that. It has more to practice with existence indoors, congregating in close proximity. Plus the winter season is when many major respiratory viruses broadcast in the U.S., similar flu A/B and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, the crusade of "croup" in young kids.
ii. Is it truthful that people are most contagious earlier they know they're sick?
Respiratory viruses are all-time engineered to spread when you take physical symptoms. And then the more symptomatic you are — the more you sneeze and coughing — the more likely you are to spread an infection. You e'er lookout a sneeze in slow movement? 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: You can shed virus that tin infect others fifty-fifty when you are asymptomatic.
3. So how long are people contagious?
For influenza, it'south ane day before symptoms, and five to 7 days later on the onset of symptoms. It can exist as long as ten days. Young children and patients with contradistinct allowed symptoms can shed the virus for longer periods of time. Influenza can shed for months in high-risk os marrow transplant recipients.
4. If you have merely a mild common cold, are you less infectious?
Just because you have balmy symptoms doesn't hateful the virus is mild. Information technology may merely mean that your allowed system controls the infection. Then it'southward important to remember that even with minimal symptoms, Aye, you tin still infect others. Many of these "mild colds" can brand other people really sick, especially if they have weakened immune systems. Every bit I oftentimes tell people, a simple common cold is rarely uncomplicated in high-adventure patients.
5. What is the general radius that people can spread their cold or flu germs? If I'k 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 can transmit influenza. A study done at Wake Forest School of Medicine looked at the distance sneeze and coughing particles can travel. Information technology was well-nigh half dozen feet. To infect someone, these particles don't have to be breathed in, they just have to get into whatsoever mucosal surface — eyes, mouth or nose. In improver, drops spread by getting on surfaces such as door handles. That's 1 of the reasons we tell people to cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze and to wash their hands frequently. Also finish touching your confront!
6. What's the best way to encompass your mouth when you cough or sneeze?
Cough or sneeze into the crook of your elbow or preferably into a Kleenex, which you toss, and so launder your hands later on. If you sneeze into your hand and then touch something, you can spread the virus. I besides encourage people to just stay home when they're ill — the more you lot limit exposures, the less probable you are spread the virus.
vii. Hands are bad, right?
Washing your hands or using alcohol-based manus gel is a cornerstone of respiratory virus prevention. Your easily bear on elevator buttons, public transport runway, all the different places you go along a daily basis, then you bear on your face hundreds of times a day. I accept a bottle of paw gel with me at all times. You lot can't terminate yourself all the time, but be more enlightened of whether your hands are clean before you showtime rubbing your eyes.
viii. How far does avoiding touching bath doors go you?
Although it's probably less disquisitional for respiratory viruses, it is of import to prevent the spread of other diseases such as Norovirus, a gastrointestinal virus that leads to diarrhea and airsickness and is aptly known every bit "Wintertime Airsickness Disease." You never know whether the person before you done their hands or not. If you ever sentry anyone wash their hands, it can be quite cursory. Sometimes they don't even apply lather or take just three seconds. Whenever yous tin, when you're washing your hands, use a paper towel to turn off the sink, open the door, and so toss the towel abroad. That's the ideal.
9. How long should you lot wash your hands? I've heard you should sing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat," but I suspect I sing information technology too fast.
Try "Happy birthday to you." Sing it twice. Most people rub two easily together and think they're done. We miss our thumbs, our wrists, under rings and jewelry, under fingernails, the backs of our easily. There are multiple steps. In that location are videos out there that bear witness y'all how to wash your hands. Information technology's the same with hand gel. Brand sure yous get plenty hand gel to encompass your hands.
10. What about facial masks? Practice they help at all?
Although you 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 wearable them in the dispensary to forbid spreading respiratory droplets. Only you have to wear them correctly. And their effectiveness is limited one time they go wet from cough, sneezing or the humidification in airways.
Update: Masks and Respiratory Viruses Editor's note, Oct. eleven, 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 discussion around masks has changed dramatically over the last year and a half. Previously, if yous had asked me, I would have been less pro-mask during respiratory virus season, but as the COVID-19 pandemic has spread, in that location are more information that masks provide boosted protection. They aren't perfect and the protection varies by the quality of the mask (Northward-95/KN-95s are ameliorate than single-ply cloth masks) and how well the cover the face up (they need to cover the nose and mouth) but, regardless, I call back at that place is a office for protecting patients when in large gatherings or out in public spaces. What will exist interesting will exist to come across if what has happened during the pandemic will continue for years to come up. Notwithstanding, for cancer patients, I see potential advantages and few, if any, downsides to their utilize.
11. Why practise people oftentimes get a cold after flying on a plane?
When you lot're sitting in close proximity to others for 12 hours, you lot're more likely to be exposed to respiratory droplets. It'south really limited to the seats effectually you, not the whole plane. I sat next to somebody with a cold, and I was as conscientious as I could be — washing my easily, using paw sanitizer. After a x-60 minutes flight I was sure I was going become a common cold — and I did.
12. In what fashion is having kids like flying on a plane?
The majority of people go colds and influenza from being in close proximity to someone with an active cold, who's sneezing and coughing. That's why with young kids in a family, the common cold goes through the whole family. Also, kids are viral factories: They often take viral loads that are higher than adults. They often don't comprehend their olfactory organ and mouth, don't accept adept mitt 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 season happening in kids first.
13. How can you tell if y'all've got a cold or the flu?
Runny olfactory organ, sore throat, fever, sneezing, cough and muscle pain are common symptoms seen in a whole host of viral infections. But influenza is different from a bad cold. It often includes a fever and a feeling of malaise or muscle pains. You feel really wiped out. If you are concerned, see your doctor for a quick exam to see if yous accept flu or if it's beneficial to get treated. Certainly, if y'all are a cancer patient, see your md fifty-fifty if you have small symptoms.
fourteen. What about the 'stomach influenza?'
That's not influenza. Really immature kids can get nausea and vomiting with influenza, simply there are ever respiratory symptoms. When you hear "tum flu," nausea and vomiting, recollect Norovirus. It is very contagious so oftentimes it will run through the whole family unit.
fifteen. Any idea what kind of influenza season it's going to be this year?
Sporadic cases have been seen, but it is not really spreading dramatically in the U.S. yet. Information technology commonly starts on the Due east Declension and moves W. Getting your flu shot now is ideal considering you need two weeks to develop a full immune response.
16. So it's a expert thought to get a flu vaccine?
It is the all-time fashion to protect yourself from getting the influenza. Information technology isn't perfect only it can often cut your chances of getting influenza by nigh 50 pct (depending on the season). Unfortunately, nosotros don't have vaccines for other respiratory viruses. But I get my flu shot every year, as 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 gratis flu vaccine for our staff. In add-on, we provide vaccine for patients and requite it gratuitous to family unit members and caregivers when they come up with patients to the clinic.
17. What virtually the high-dose vaccine?
A loftier-dose flu vaccine has been shown in studies to provide amend protection for people 65 years and older. I recommended it to my ain parents — who both get vaccinated. The one down side is information technology but covers three strains of influenza while the normal vaccine covers 4. Future studies should aid us better understand whether high-dose vaccine is beneficial for cancer patients.
18. Why did the CDC terminate recommending flu mist for children?
The influenza mist, or live-attenuated flu vaccine, is a weakened course of the influenza virus that can be given through the nose. It was idea to piece of work well in kids, but contempo data suggests that information technology may not provide enough immune response to some strains of influenza. The CDC does not recommend information technology equally an option for vaccination this twelvemonth. The merely selection is the influenza shot.
19. Can you lot get the flu from the flu vaccine ?
Absolutely non. The vaccine has components of the inactivated virus, merely it's not the virus. Minor side effects can be a niggling aching or arm swelling, but information technology lasts a day or two at most. As one of the most utilized vaccines in the globe, it has i of best safety profiles of anything we do in healthcare.
xx. What virtually 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 science has, again and once again, shown this non to be the case. Unfortunately, many still believe this discredited link. Equally for Guillain-Barre syndrome (a rare neurologic illness), you are more likely to get it if you get the flu than if you get the vaccine. Vaccines are well studied and very safe. I become mine every year and so does everyone in my family.
21. Does drinking orange juice or taking vitamin C help prevent colds and flu? What most Airborne products or zinc?
There's not bully 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 rest are important, nonetheless.
22. Is there any handling for a cold or flu?
If you have influenza, in that location's Tamiflu, or oseltamivir [prescription antiretroviral drugs]. We don't recommend them for everyone merely nosotros do suggest them for people with chronic wellness conditions, cancer or for a transplant patient at run a risk for complications. I prefer that you never need medications — become the vaccine instead. For most other respiratory viruses, there are no treatments, and so prevention and limiting transmission are cardinal.
23. Is there anything you tin can practice to care for a common cold?
The best things you tin do are residuum and get adequate fluids. Accept it piece of cake, don't exert yourself. Cover your coughs and sneezing. And stay home then you limit exposing others to the infection.
24. What most chicken soup?
If nothing else, it provides a variety of nutritional benefits, a fair corporeality of liquids, and information technology can exist very soothing to have something warm. I know I dear it when I experience sick — forth with ginger ale. Information technology reminds me of when I was a kid. In that location are no downsides to it.
Take yous been hit past a cold or flu this season? Tell us about it on Facebook.
Source: https://www.fredhutch.org/en/news/center-news/2015/12/separating-fact-from-fiction-about-colds-and-flu.html
0 Response to "Does Getting the Cold Once Prevent Someone From Getting It Again"
Post a Comment