Health
How long you’re contagious with the flu — and when it’s safe to go out
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The U.S. is in the thick of flu season, with many states reporting “moderate to very high activity” of influenza-like illness, according to the CDC.
With influenza A (H3N2), or subclade K, making up a large portion of the circulating viruses, doctors emphasize the importance of getting the most recent flu vaccinations, staying at home while sick and washing hands frequently, among other prevention tactics.
If you’ve been exposed to or infected with influenza, here’s what to know about how long the virus is transmissible.
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“You are typically contagious with the flu for five to seven days after symptoms start,” Dr. Samantha Picking, the Massachusetts-based senior director of immunizations at Walgreens, told Fox News Digital.
“However, some groups remain contagious for longer periods. Young children and people with weakened immune systems can spread the virus for more than seven days, sometimes extending to two weeks or longer.”
The U.S. is in the thick of flu season, with many states reporting “moderate to very high activity” of influenza-like illness, per the CDC. (iStock)
It’s a myth that people can’t be contagious until they experience symptoms, according to Picking.
“The flu is most contagious during the first three to four days after symptoms appear,” she said. “However, you can begin spreading the virus a day before feeling ill and may remain contagious for up to a week or longer.”
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The incubation period — the time between exposure to the virus and when symptoms start — is typically two days, though it can range from one to four days, the pharmacist added. People with mild symptoms can still spread the flu.
“The vaccine still provides protection against serious illness resulting from the subclade K variant that seems to be going around,” a doctor told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
For anyone who is starting to feel sick or has been around someone who has the flu, Picking recommends limiting contact with others to avoid spreading the virus.
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“To be safe and prevent spreading the virus, stay home until you’re fever-free for at least 24 hours without using fever-reducing medicine,” Picking advised. “For most healthy adults, this typically corresponds to five to seven days after symptoms begin.”
People can take extra precautions, like masking, for a few days after returning to normal activities, she added.
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“However, use your best judgment and consult a healthcare professional if you’re unsure whether you’re well enough to leave the house,” she added. “If your other symptoms aren’t improving, or you generally still feel ill, it’s wise to stay home and practice good hand hygiene.”
Young children and people with weakened immune systems may be able to spread the virus to others for a longer time period, sometimes for up to 14 days, according to the pharmacist.
“Stay home until you’re fever-free for at least 24 hours without using fever-reducing medicine.”
Picking noted that a cough can linger for weeks after other symptoms have abated. “While a lingering cough is not necessarily a sign that you’re still contagious, it’s considerate to mask up and practice good cough etiquette when around others,” she advised.
Some antiviral medications, when initiated early on, can shorten how long someone is contagious with the flu.
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“These medications work best when started within two days of seeing symptoms,” Picking noted. Anyone who is interested in antivirals should speak with a healthcare provider or pharmacist for personalized guidance.
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Flu symptoms can include fever, chills, headache, fatigue, cough, sore throat and runny nose.
Subclade K has been detected as the culprit in rising global cases, causing more intense symptoms and higher risk of spread.
The flu is most contagious during the first three to four days after symptoms appear, a pharmacist said. (iStock)
“It’s becoming evident that this is a pretty severe variant of the flu,” Dr. Neil Maniar, professor of public health practice at Boston’s Northeastern University, previously told Fox News Digital. “Certainly, in other parts of the world where this variant has been prevalent, it’s caused some severe illness, and we’re seeing an aggressive flu season already.”
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“The vaccine still provides protection against serious illness resulting from the subclade K variant that seems to be going around,” he added.
Angelica Stabile contributed reporting.
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A new report by the American Heart Association (AHA) included some troubling predictions for the future of women’s health.
The forecast, published in the journal Circulation on Wednesday, projected increases in various comorbidities in American females by 2050.
More than 59% of women were predicted to have high blood pressure, up from less than 49% currently.
The review also projected that more than 25% of women will have diabetes, compared to about 15% today, and more than 61% will have obesity, compared to 44% currently.
As a result of these risk factors, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7%.
The prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke in women is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7% by 2050. (iStock)
Not all trends were negative, as unhealthy cholesterol prevalence is expected to drop to about 22% from more than 42% today, the report stated.
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Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, a cardiologist and founder of Step One Foods in Minnesota, commented on these “jarring findings.”
“The fact that on our current trajectory, cardiometabolic disease is projected to explode in women within one generation should be a huge wake-up call,” she told Fox News Digital.
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“Hypertension, diabetes, obesity — these are all major risk factors for heart disease, and we are already seeing what those risks are driving. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, eclipsing all other causes of death, including breast cancer.”
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S. and around the world. (iStock)
Klodas warned that heart disease starts early, progresses “stealthily,” and can present “out of the blue in devastating ways.”
The AHA published another study on Thursday revealing one million hospitalizations, showing that heart attack deaths are climbing among adults below the age of 55.
The more alarming finding, according to Klodas, is that young women were found more likely to die after their first heart attack than men of the same age.
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“This is all especially tragic since heart disease is almost entirely preventable,” she said. “The earlier you start, the better.”
Children can show early evidence of plaque deposition in their arteries, which can be reversed through lifestyle changes if “undertaken early enough and aggressively enough,” according to the expert.
Moving more is one part of protecting a healthy heart, according to experts. (iStock)
Klodas suggested that rising heart conditions are associated with traditional risk factors, like smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.
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Doctors are also seeing higher rates of preeclampsia, or high blood pressure during pregnancy, as well as gestational diabetes. Klodas noted that these are sex-specific risk factors that don’t typically contribute to complications until after menopause.
The best way to protect a healthy heart is to “do the basics,” Klodas recommended, including the following lifestyle habits.
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Klodas especially emphasized making improvements to diet, as the food people eat affects “every single risk factor that the AHA’s report highlights.”
“High blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, excess weight – these are all conditions that are driven in part or in whole by food,” she said. “We eat multiple times every single day, which means what we eat has profound cumulative effects over time.”
“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health,” a doctor said. (iStock)
“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health.”
The doctor also recommends changing out a few snacks per day for healthier choices, which has been proven to “yield medication-level cholesterol reductions” in a month.
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“Keep up that small change and, over the course of a year, you could also lose 20 pounds and reduce your sodium intake enough to avoid blood pressure-lowering medications,” Klodas added.
“Women should not view the AHA report as inevitable. We have power over our health destinies. We just need to use it.”
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Nearsightedness (myopia) is skyrocketing globally, with nearly half of the world’s population expected to be myopic by 2050, according to the World Health Organization.
Heavy use of smartphones and other devices is associated with an 80% higher risk of myopia when combined with excessive computer use, but a new study suggests that dim indoor lighting could also be a factor.
For years, scientists have been puzzled by the different ways myopia is triggered. In lab settings, it can be induced by blurring vision or using different lenses. Conversely, it can be slowed by something as simple as spending time outdoors, research suggests.
Nearsightedness occurs when the eyeball grows too long from front to back, according to the American Optometric Association (AOA). This physical elongation causes light to focus in front of the retina rather than directly on it, making distant objects appear blurry.
The study suggests that myopia isn’t caused by the digital devices themselves, but by the low-light environments where they are typically used. (iStock)
Researchers at the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Optometry identified a potential specific trigger for this growth. When someone looks at a phone or a book up close, the pupil naturally constricts.
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“In bright outdoor light, the pupil constricts to protect the eye while still allowing ample light to reach the retina,” Urusha Maharjan, a SUNY Optometry doctoral student who conducted the study, said in a press release.
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“When people focus on close objects indoors, such as phones, tablets or books, the pupil can also constrict — not because of brightness, but to sharpen the image,” she went on. “In dim lighting, this combination may significantly reduce retinal illumination.”
High-intensity natural light prevents myopia because it provides enough retinal stimulation to override the “stop growing” signal, even when pupils are constricted. (iStock)
The hypothesis suggests that when the retina is deprived of light during extended close-up work, it sends a signal for the eye to grow.
In a dim environment, the narrowed pupil allows so little light through that the retinal activity isn’t strong enough to signal the eye to stop growing, the researchers found.
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In contrast, being outdoors provides light levels much brighter than indoors. This ensures that even when the pupil narrows to focus on a nearby object, the retina still receives a strong signal, maintaining healthy eye development.
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The team noted some limitations of the study, including the small subject group and the inability to directly measure internal lens changes, as the bright backgrounds used to mimic the outdoors made pupils too small for standard equipment.
Researchers believe that increasing indoor brightness during close-up work could be a simple, testable way to slow the global nearsightedness epidemic. (iStock)
“This is not a final answer,” Jose-Manuel Alonso, MD, PhD, SUNY distinguished professor and senior author of the study, said in the release.
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“But the study offers a testable hypothesis that reframes how visual habits, lighting and eye focusing interact.”
The study was published in the journal Cell Reports.
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