If you came here looking for an answer to the question, “is the stomach flu contagious,” then the quick and short answer is “Yes it is.”
Of course, there are other things to look at before actually knowing for sure that the stomach flu is in fact contagious. The stomach flu is also known as viral gastroenteritis. It is an infection in the intestines and there are a host of viruses that can bring this on. This illness is one of the most frequently occurring reasons as to why people in this country go through bouts of diarrhea and vomiting. In and of itself, this illness is not something that is too serious but it can be if in fact you do not stay hydrated. It is very important that you drink enough fluids if you have the this bug. This is especially true for children and the elderly population.
So, what are the symptoms or how can you know that what you have is in fact the bug? As previously mentioned, the main symptoms of are vomiting and diarrhea. In most cases a person that is infected with this illness will have it for forty eight to seventy two hours and it can last as long as ten days.
Is the Stomach Flu Contagious?
So, back to this question. Yes, it is contagious but there are things that you can do in order to prevent it being passed on to anyone else. Let us take a look at some of the things you can do:
1. Wash your hands frequently. Make sure that you use hot water and scrub really hard when you do wash your hands. It is recommended that you wash your hands for at least a minute at a time if not longer. The most important part of hand washing is the idea of causing friction in between the rubbing of the hands.
2. Cover your mouth when you sneeze or when you cough. You should try and avoid using your hand to cover your mouth and instead go to using your elbow crease for this purpose. It used to be suggested that you use your hands but the latest research shows that this is not the best way to do it.
Is the Stomach Flu Contagious?