
With everyone out there talking about the H1N1 virus, I have been looking into symptoms and duration of the flu... and it seems that you aren't contagious after your fever is gone for over 24 hours. I am also semi-surprised that most people I've been running into don't understand what a secondary infection is. Secondary infections ARE NOT contagious, people! :-) Check this out:
A secondary infection (I pulled this from the medical dictionary online) is an "illness caused by new bacteria, viruses, or fungi becoming established in the wake of an initial infection."
A secondary infection, like pneumonia (which is the most common secondary infection that H1N1 causes) IS NOT contagious. It is the virus or bacteria that causes the pneumonia that is contagious. Not everybody who is exposed to the virus or bacteria gets pneumonia. It all depends on your immune system's ability to fight the virus or bacteria. -From this website.
If your flu symptoms, including fever, are gone for over 24 hours and/or you've been sick for at least a week and your symptoms are gone, you are not contagious. Even if you have a secondary infection that lingers. -From this website.
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