Experts give information: How long is the common cold really contagious?

So which Pfnüsel can be transmitted for how long? A person infected with a respiratory virus is contagious 24 hours before the onset of symptoms and 3 to 5 days after the symptoms subside, says the press service of the University Hospital of Lausanne. In young children, the elderly, or people with compromised immune systems, the duration of infection may be longer, such as 7 to 10 days. This number may be even higher in people with severely weakened immune systems.

However, different rules apply for some diseases. We will explain which ones:

The Federal Office of Public Health estimates that people infected with Covid become contagious two days before symptoms appear: “Usually people become ill three to four days after infection, but they become contagious two days earlier, that is, before they become ill. Virus on the BAG website,” says .

The most common symptoms include loss of taste and smell, cough, severe fatigue, fever, headache and muscle aches.

The information provided by the Lausanne University Hospital is also valid for the common cold, whose contagion begins a few days before the first sore throat. As stated on the NHS website, the risk of spreading the disease gradually decreases once symptoms subside.

However, many people can remain mildly contagious for up to two weeks after getting sick. The risk is highest in the first three days of illness.

According to the UK NHS, flu is contagious from one day before the first symptoms appear and can remain contagious for up to five to seven days after symptoms disappear. As with all respiratory viruses, children and immunocompromised individuals remain contagious longer.

As Hervé Spechbach, deputy head of the outpatient emergency department of the University Hospital of Geneva, explains in an article on the typical symptoms of various viruses, influenza may require special protective measures for certain groups: “A test and treatment may be indicated from the age of 65. It also applies to people whose systems are suppressed or who are undergoing chemotherapy. In these cases, vaccinations and preventive measures are very important; B. Hand hygiene and wearing a face mask in closed rooms.”