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
When grief doesn't end: Nursing PhD students bring a classroom theory to Ohio families
October 29, 2026
Most of us think of grief as something with an ending. A loss happens, it hurts, and over time the hurt fades. For many parents of children with developmental disabilities, it doesn't work that way. The sadness can quiet down for months or years and then come back. It might return on the first day of kindergarten, at a cousin's wedding, at a high school graduation, or on the day a young adult ages out of school services. Nurses and researchers have a name for this: chronic sorrow. Last October, two University of Cincinnati College of Nursing PhD students helped bring that name to a room of families, people with disabilities and the professionals who support them.
UC engineers drones that know if they're damaged
October 29, 2026
UC engineering students are developing drones that can work in warehouses using a digital twin and others that can warn of damaged propellers or motors before a flight.
UC student's NFL internship leads to $20,000 gift to reduce loan burden
October 29, 2026
University of Cincinnati athletic training graduate student Savannah Posey interned with the Buffalo Bills during training camp and received a surprise $20,000 gift toward her student loans from safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson through his Ceedy Cares Foundation.