{"id":53820,"date":"2022-09-12T09:30:22","date_gmt":"2022-09-12T13:30:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=53820"},"modified":"2025-09-04T11:27:53","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T15:27:53","slug":"how-long-is-a-cold-contagious","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/how-long-is-a-cold-contagious\/","title":{"rendered":"How long is a cold contagious?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cIt\u2019s just a cold.\u201d That\u2019s a sentence many people use to explain why their symptoms are nothing serious, nothing anyone needs to worry about.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

The common cold is indeed common. Adults catch an average of two to three of these viral infections annually. Young children can get as many as <\/span>10 colds<\/span> a year. Because colds happen so often, many people continue to work or attend school while feeling just a little bit sick. Or they might take a day off, then return to work or school before symptoms subside. That\u2019s not the healthiest idea.<\/span><\/p>\n

Colds can lead to complications like sinusitis, bronchitis, and ear infections. They are also easily spread\u2014and the viruses that cause colds remain contagious for longer than most people suspect.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How does a cold spread?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Most commonly, colds are caused by rhinoviruses and coronaviruses. These upper respiratory infections are spread in ways similar to the coronavirus that causes COVID-19\u2014when respiratory droplets from an infected person enter the body of a healthy person.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

These respiratory droplets may <\/span>remain infectious<\/span><\/a> outside the body for several hours and even days, depending on where the droplets land, the amount of virus that lands on a surface, the type of surface it lands on, and other factors such as temperature and humidity. Cold symptoms such as sneezing and coughing propel these virus-laden droplets through the air, into the mouths and noses of others, and onto surfaces. <\/span>According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)<\/span><\/a>,<\/span> most colds spread through the air and by touching a surface with viral particles on it, then touching your eyes, mouth, or nose.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/b>Can you catch a cold in the summer?<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

How long is a cold contagious?<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u201cThe contagious period for a cold usually lasts five to seven days and up to two weeks,\u201d says <\/span>Neil Schachter, MD, a professor of pulmonary, critical care, and community medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center and author of <\/span>The Good Doctor\u2019s Guide To Colds & Flu<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThere are over 200 types of cold viruses, and they can affect a person differently,\u201d explains <\/span>Dr. Schachter.<\/span> \u201c<\/span>So the answer to this question needs to cover a range of time.\u201d Typically, you are <\/span>contagious<\/span> one to three days before symptom onset and at least five to seven days after the first signs of sniffles, sneezing, cough, headaches, or sore throat. Then, you can still be infectious up to two weeks after becoming ill.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When is a cold no longer contagious?<\/span><\/h3>\n

The common cold has four stages, with symptoms usually peaking at three days when it is most contagious.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Incubation period:<\/b> The time between exposure and the onset of symptoms. This stage lasts from 12 hours to three days.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Appearance of symptoms:<\/b> Common symptoms of sneezing, runny nose, stuffy nose, and a sore throat arrive up to three days after exposure. Cough, headache, exhaustion, and watery eyes are also common signs that your immune system is fighting off a cold virus. A fever is rare. Symptoms usually peak at three days.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Remission:<\/b> Symptoms should start to lessen after three to 10 days.<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Recovery:<\/b> Symptoms like cough and congestion can linger for two weeks but are less severe than in the first few days. People feel much better, even close to normal.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Even though it\u2019s hard to know exactly how long an individual might be contagious, Dr. Schacter recommends staying home from work or school for at least three days until symptoms begin to lessen.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u201cThen if you are feeling strong enough, go back to work with a mask and a pump bottle of alcohol-based hand sanitizer,\u201d Dr. Schacter says. \u201cHowever, if you develop a fever or your cough worsens, stay home and call your doctor.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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