How many days are you contagious?

MicheleMaBell · 10-29-2009, 01:37 PM

I forget how long are you contagious with H1N1? You can have it for at least a day and not have any illness but once you get hit with it then how long are you contagious? How many days after you feel better are you contagious?

Susie · 10-29-2009, 01:42 PM

My doctor says that you are contagious 24 hours before you have symptoms, and remain contagious for seven full days after the symptoms first show up.

Potemkin · 10-29-2009, 09:11 PM

Consensus is 24 hrs before symptoms and 72 hrs after your fever returns to normal. (Although some are going to 5 days.)

Sonny · 10-30-2009, 08:19 AM

A little more than halfway down the first post of another thread is the following info on duration.
http://thisbluemarble.com/showthread.php?t=21089

A second team of researchers looked at 26 elementary-school students in Pennsylvania and their household contacts who had tested positive for H1N1 to assess virus "shedding patterns."

"We found the median duration of shedding to be six days, with a minimum of one day and a maximum of 13 days," said study author Dr. Achuyt Bhattarai, an epidemic intelligence service officer with the CDC.

Exodia · 10-30-2009, 09:17 AM

I don't recall (I'm sure it's been discussed), how does being on anti-virals effect the length of time you are contagious?

Sonny · 10-30-2009, 10:23 AM

"how does being on anti-virals effect the length of time you are contagious?"

I don't know for sure but I think it depends on how much resistance the viruses have developed to the antiviral med being given .and. how soon after infection the treatment is started. Having said that, In years past I remember hearing estimates of one or days less, on average.