How Long Are You Contagious With the Flu After Antiviral Treatment?

Coming down with the flu is never fun. But what if there was a treatment that could help you recover more quickly and possibly reduce how long you’re contagious? Antiviral medications like oseltamivir do exactly that. When taken early enough, antivirals can lessen the severity and duration of flu symptoms.

Keep reading to learn how they work, how long you might be contagious after starting treatment and proper steps to protect others while you’re sick.

What Are Antiviral Flu Medications?

Prescription antiviral medications, such as oseltamivir, help fight the influenza virus, which causes the flu. These medications must be prescribed by a health care provider.

For antiviral medications to work most effectively, they should be taken within the first 48 hours of flu symptoms appearing. Starting treatment early can help reduce the severity and duration of symptoms and may even shorten the time you remain contagious.

How Antiviral Medications Work

Antiviral flu drugs work by targeting an enzyme in the influenza virus called neuraminidase, which stops the flu virus from multiplying. This helps reduce your viral load, which is the amount of virus in your body.

This can help:

• Lessen the severity of flu symptoms
• Lower flu complication risks for pregnant women
• Reduce how long the flu lasts by about one to two days
• Reduce the amount of time you’re contagious

It’s important to note that antiviral medication is not a substitute for getting an annual flu vaccine. Your best bet to protect yourself and your family during flu season is to get the flu shot every year.

How Long Are You Contagious After Starting Medication?

Antiviral medications can help reduce how long the flu lasts and may shorten the period you’re contagious if they’re taken within 48 hours of flu symptoms appearing. Typically, people with the flu are most contagious during the first three to four days of illness, but taking antivirals early can sometimes help you become less contagious.

But even with treatment, it’s important to practice good hygiene, stay home if possible and avoid close contact with others until your symptoms have improved and your fever is gone.

When Is it Safe to Be Around Others?

The flu is a highly infectious disease that spreads quickly.

You can usually start going back to work and school and having close contact with others when:

• It's been at least five days since the onset of your symptoms
• You've had no fever for 24 hours without using fever-reducing medications
• Your symptoms are clearly improving

But remember that everyone is different. People with weakened immune systems may stay contagious for longer. And some people, health care workers and caregivers, for example, should follow stricter post-flu return criteria.

When in doubt, always talk to your health care provider to determine when it’s safe to return to work or school.

Preventing the Spread While You’re Still Contagious

While it can be hard to contain the virus, especially in your home, there are certain measures you can take to help lessen the spread of the flu:

• Avoid touching your mouth, eyes or nose
• Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing to reduce fluid droplets from spreading
• Disinfect commonly touched surfaces
• Don’t share personal items, like toothbrushes or utensils
• Isolate as much as possible until no longer contagious
• Start taking antiviral medications within the first 48 hours you notice flu symptoms
• Wash bedding, towels and clothing in hot water
• Wash your hands frequently
• Wear a mask around others

Following these steps will greatly help to prevent the flu from spreading.

When to Seek Urgent Care

For flu treatment to work, visit an urgent care center for antiviral medications as soon as you notice symptoms. If you suspect you’ve been exposed to the flu virus, be proactive and visit an urgent care center, even if you don’t yet feel symptomatic. You’ll get a flu test so you can be certain. Visit us here to learn about the time it takes to get a flu test and receive your results.

However, if you don’t catch it in time, you need to prepare for the virus to run its course with plenty of rest, hydration and over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen and acetaminophen.

In some cases, you may need to visit the emergency room.

Seek emergency care if you experience the following:

• A fever that lasts for more than five days
• Higher-risk populations where complications are possible, such as older adults, young children, pregnant women and those with a weak immune system
• Inability to keep down any fluids, which could lead to dehydration
• Normal symptoms that worsen or don’t improve after three to four days
• Severe symptoms uncommon to the flu, like breathing problems, seizures, confusion or chest pain
• Those who have had a prior hospitalization due to coronavirus or other respiratory illness and are experiencing similar symptoms

Click here to learn the differences between COVID-19 and flu symptoms and treatment.

FAQs About the Flu and Antiviral Medications

We know you may have many questions about the flu or antiviral medications. We’re here to answer your questions and put you on a path to wellness.

Helping You Feel Whole

Antiviral medications are a helpful treatment during flu season. They can reduce the severity and duration of symptoms and may even help you be contagious for a shorter time, protecting those around you. But even with antiviral medications, you can still be contagious for several days, so it’s best to stay home until you’re fully recovered.

If you have the flu or think you’ve been exposed, visit your nearest AdventHealth Centra Care to get tested and treatment, if needed. Walk in or reserve your visit time online for same-day care. We’re here to help you get back to feeling better.