![a photo of a man with a thermometer in his mouth battling a common cold](https://www.uc.edu/news/articles/2023/11/n21209768/jcr:content/image.img.cq5dam.thumbnail.500.500.jpg/1699891277568.jpg)
USA Today: Have you caught a cold? Here's how long you will be contagious.
UC expert says it's best to get plenty of rest at the onset of a cold
As the leaves and temperatures drop this fall, it means the return of the cold and flu season. USA Today published a story on the common cold, focusing on how long people are contagious once they get a cold. According to the NHS, the common cold is contagious for a few days before symptoms start “until all of your symptoms are gone.”
One of the experts interviewed for the story is Katherine Schmidt, MD, of the Department of Internal Medicine at the UC College of Medicine.
Colds typically last about seven to 10 days. In the last few days, your cold gradually gets better. “You’re not usually contagious a week or so into [a cold],” says Schmidt.
Katherine Schmidt, MD, of the Department of Internal Medicine at the UC College of Medicine/Photo/Joe Fuqua II/UC Marketing + Brand
If you’re worried about spreading your cold, stay home to avoid exposing others to the cold-causing virus. However, you don’t need to stay home for the entire duration of the cold. Schmidt says to stay home during the first two to three days of symptoms when the cold is especially transmittable. When people start to feel better, they can return to daily life.
Schmidt urges people to make sure they take the time they need to get substantial rest though. “You’re not going to be able to go from zero to one hundred,” she says. “We all have stuff that we want to do … but you got to give your body that grace to heal.”
The common cold is called “common” for a reason. Colds are highly contagious with adults averaging two to four colds annually and children catching even more colds, according to the American Lung Association. Colds can be spread through touch and the air.
Next Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is classified as a Research 1 institution by the Carnegie Commission and is ranked in the National Science Foundation's Top-35 public research universities. UC's graduate students and faculty investigate problems and innovate solutions with real-world impact. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
Local 12: Music creation's impact on the brain after cancer
August 4, 2021
UC researchers launched a new study looking treating a common brain problem that results after therapy for cancer.
WLWT: COVID-19 vaccine distribution in Ohio
January 11, 2021
COVID-19 vaccine providers across Ohio will soon get better guidance about the next steps for getting shots into arms. Brett Kissela, MD, spoke to WLWT-TV, Channel 5 and said the benefits of the vaccine outweigh any potential side effects.
What's Happening in Health: RNA treatment for brain cancer
May 18, 2021
UC's Daniel Pomeranz Krummel, PhD, discusses new brain cancer research with Liz Bonis on Local 12's What's Happening in Health program.
'I'm a believer': UC dean for research takes next step in COVID-19 trial
January 8, 2021
Brett Kissela, MD, senior associate dean for clinical research at the UC College of Medicine and chief of research services at UC Health, learned he received the placebo in the Moderna vaccine clinical trial. He then received the real vaccine to show that he believes in the science.
MedPage Today: Preop chemotherapy misses mark in pancreatic cancer
January 21, 2021
UC research, published in JAMA Oncology, shows that chemotherapy before surgery for some pancreatic cancer patients may not improve survival rates.
COVID-19 Conversations Podcast: Participation in vaccine trial
December 17, 2020
UC's Brett Kissela, MD, discusses participating in the Moderna vaccine trial on an African Alliance podcast.
WVXU: Does your spinal fluid show if you have a tumor?
November 9, 2020
University of Cincinnati researchers are starting a clinical trial to determine if they can detect brain cancer in spinal fluid.
US News & World Report: Immunotherapy and cancer, COVID-19
July 21, 2020
National media outlets report on new UC findings that show immunotherapy will not worsen complications for patients who have cancer and COVID-19.
Drugs.com: Effect of cancer treatment on COVID-19 mortality
September 22, 2020
Drugs.com covers UC research looking at mortality in patients with cancer and COVID-19.
WVXU: Certain cancer treatments & COVID-19 could lead to death
September 22, 2020
WVXU reports on a University of Cincinnati study showing cancer patients undergoing a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy one to three months before a COVID-19 diagnosis have a greater risk of death than patients who haven't undergone cancer treatment in the past year.