Now that it’s getting colder and we’re spending more time indoors, you’re more likely to catch the flu or a cold. But from when are you contagious to others? And can you still stop a cold if you feel it coming on?
There are many respiratory infections going around again this season, says RIVM spokesperson Harald Wychgel. Although you can catch a cold or flu all year round, the period October to March is considered flu season.
“You may see more and more people around you sniffling or coughing, but there is no question of an epidemic yet,” says Wychgel. Sitting next to a coughing man on the train or next to a sniffling colleague in the office is no fun, but how contagious are these people? According to Wychgel, it just depends on which virus you have caught.
There are many viruses that can cause a cold, while flu is always caused by the influenza virus. Having a cold is not the same as having the flu. You can have a cold and not have the flu, and you can have the flu without having a cold.
If you are infected with the influenza virus, you can infect someone else before you are even bothered, says Ted van Essen, former general practitioner and chairman of the Dutch Influenza Foundation. “The virus enters through your nose, settles in your cells and then multiplies into millions of virus particles.”
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Even with mild complaints it is better to stay at home
Before you develop any symptoms, the virus is already in your nose. From that moment on you are contagious. Coughing and sneezing makes this worse: the virus can spread faster. If you don’t do that yet, it is difficult to take into account not to infect family, friends and colleagues, Van Essen sees.
So going to the office is actually not a good idea, even if you only have mild complaints, says Wychgel. “You cannot prevent yourself from getting an infection, but you can reduce the chance of passing on the virus. If you are really sick, stay at home.” Van Essen adds: “This is even more true if you turn out to have corona. Then you can easily prove it with a self-test.”
According to Wychgel, there are no generally applicable recommendations that can prevent the virus from being passed on. “But we do know that sneezing and coughing into the elbow works, we have seen that during the corona period. Just like keeping your distance, washing your hands regularly and avoiding contact with vulnerable people.”
Why you can get sicker than your partner
If you wake up in the morning with a mild sore throat and you want to quickly combat the cold, then you are actually already too late. Drinking liters of ginger tea or rushing to the supermarket for extra fruit and vegetables makes no sense. “Once you’re infected, you’re infected,” says Wychgel. “It may be that it makes you less ill than someone else, it just depends on your resistance.”
Once you have a cold, there is really nothing you can do but surrender to it, says Van Essen. “No remedy that claims to work against a cold has been shown to actually do so. It is best to take it easy and avoid visiting grandparents and other vulnerable people.”
2023-11-09 10:15:30
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