When Do We Stop Being Infectious ?

[ladyalex]

Lordalex and I have both come down with a horrible fluey cold. (I know it isn't flu, if it was I wouldn't be able to post this.)
Anyway, we have a very frail elderly relative to look after.
When would it be reasonable to assume that we will no longer infect her ?
When we've stopped coughing and/or sneezing ? when we're able to be up and about all day ?
At the moment we are both sleeping a lot of the time, taking Lemsip regularly and sometimes hoping for a swift release.....
Thanks.
:-((

[Sqad]

Give it a week from now and " elderly relative" should be out of your infectiousness........is there such a word?

[Buenchico]

As there are over 200 different viruses which result in colds, there is no single answer to your question.

However an NHS website, aimed mainly at medical professionals, states "People with a cold can remain infectious (shedding the virus) for several weeks."
http://www.cks.nhs.uk/common_cold/background_information/definition/transmission

Chris

[ladyalex]

Thanks sqad and buenchico.

At the moment I cannot imagine feeling well enough to visit anyone, but I'm sure after a week, things will be much better for us.
I'll also have a look at that website.

Groan, groan, moan, moan.....:-((

[boxtops]

Sorry you've got the lurgy, ladya - OH and I had it a month ago, we felt really rough for three weeks. Copious amounts of Beechams All in One helped considerably.

[ladyalex]

Thanks , boxtops.
lordalex is feeling a little better today, which is encouraging.
I am still at the stage when death would be welcome.
And I feel sick from all the paracetamol......moan, moan, groan, groan, misery, misery....

[johnk]

Do the masks you see in Japan stop the spread of infection?

[woofgang]

evidently not.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17828691

[ladyalex]

Thanks for the idea, Johnk.

Too bad about te study, woofgang.

Still feeling awful, but can now raise my head from the pillow for longer than ten minutes together....just.
:-((