When Can My Child Be Around Other Kids After Being Sick?

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It’s a very common question in the world of pediatrics: “When is my child safe/ready/OK to be around other children after being sick?” It’s no fun to be sick and even worse to take care of a sick child. It can be tricky determining whether a sick kid is contagious and if they should stay home from school or daycare. Our recommendations can help you understand your child’s symptoms and what’s contagious, so you know whether a sick baby, toddler or older child is likely to infect others.
It’s also important to consider who your child will be around and the risk of them becoming ill. For instance, if your child will be around an infant who’s less than 3 months old or an individual whose immune system is weakened due to illness or suppressed due to medications like chemotherapy, err on the side of caution.
There’s no hard and fast rule for when a cold is no longer contagious. Although colds can continue to spread for as long as your child has symptoms, they’re most contagious in the first 2–4 days after symptoms start. Cold virus particles can travel up to 12 feet when someone coughs or sneezes. Another child (or adult!) can also get sick after touching contaminated surfaces and then touching their nose or mouth.
Once cold symptoms subside and after about a week of illness, the chances of spreading the virus decrease significantly. However, lingering symptoms like a mild cough or runny nose can persist beyond the contagious period, which typically lasts 7 to 10 days. Practicing good hygiene, such as frequent handwashing and covering the nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing, is essential to prevent transmission during this period. Learn more about relieving your child’s cold symptoms with these tips.
Children with the flu or a cold are usually contagious for a longer period compared to adults because the flu can last a bit longer in kids. For the flu, children can start spreading the virus one day before symptoms appear and remain contagious for as long as they have symptoms. Young children or those with a weakened immune system can be contagious for longer periods of time. Be sure to know the difference between flu and cold symptoms in kids.
To reduce the risk of spreading illness, it’s important to keep children home from school or daycare until they’ve been fever-free for at least 24 hours and their symptoms have improved. Always consult your pediatrician if you’re unsure or if symptoms persist.
The best way to prevent the flu is with the yearly flu vaccine, which typically becomes available in early fall. Flu shots and nasal spray are available. Talk with your pediatrician if you have questions about how the flu vaccine works and how well it helps protect kids from the flu.
A fever itself is not contagious, and a fever alone doesn’t necessarily mean a child is contagious. For example, a urinary tract infection could cause a fever but isn’t contagious.
However, a fever is usually a symptom of an underlying infection, most often a cold or the flu.
Children can certainly be contagious without having a fever, as many viral and bacterial infections can spread during their early stages, even before symptoms appear. It’s important to monitor other symptoms and maintain good hygiene practices to prevent the spread of illness, regardless of whether a fever is present.
Like a fever, a cough can be caused by contagious and noncontagious causes. For example, a cough that’s due to allergies or asthma isn’t contagious.
However, most often, a cough is caused by a viral infection like a cold or the flu, which are highly contagious. It’s best to keep kids away from other kids and to have children stay home from school or daycare until they’re fever-free and symptoms improve to prevent spreading the infection. Learn more about different types of coughs and what they may mean.
Ear infections commonly follow a viral upper respiratory infection (cold) in children. Ear infections may resolve spontaneously but often require treatment with antibiotics. Ear infections aren’t contagious to others — but the cold that proceeded them is. Once cold symptoms subside (usually after about a week of being sick), the chances of spreading the virus decrease significantly. Learn more about ear infections and how to determine if your child has an ear infection.
For conjunctivitis (pink eye), whether it’s contagious depends on the underlying cause. Viruses, bacteria and allergens can all cause pink eye. Pink eye that’s caused by viruses and bacteria is very contagious.
Keep in mind that it can be very hard to know the true cause of conjunctivitis. Bacterial conjunctivitis is generally “angrier” looking and gooey/crusty, though not always. Bacterial conjunctivitis responds very quickly to eye drop antibiotics and may be non-contagious in a few hours or less — long before the redness is gone. Viral conjunctivitis doesn’t improve with antibiotics drops. It improves on its own over a few days, occasionally taking more than a week and is contagious.
Like other symptoms, whether it’s contagious will depend on the cause. Vomiting and diarrhea in children are usually caused by viral infections, such as the stomach flu (gastroenteritis), but can also be bacterial or parasitic in nature. In these cases, these symptoms are highly contagious and can easily spread through close contact, contaminated surfaces or shared food and drinks. Germs are often transferred to common household items like doorknobs, remote controls and phones when hands aren’t washed thoroughly after bathroom trips. If someone touches these surfaces and then puts their hand to their mouth without washing, they can become infected within a few hours or days.
Children are typically contagious while they have symptoms and for a few days after. It’s important to keep them home from school or daycare until they’ve been symptom-free for at least 24 hours. Parents should watch for signs of dehydration, such as a dry mouth, reduced urination or lethargy, and consult a pediatrician if symptoms persist or worsen. Good hygiene practices, especially frequent handwashing, are crucial to prevent the spread of illness.
Kids may not be great at sharing toys, but they’re great at sharing germs. Many illnesses can be contagious before symptoms even start, so the best approach is to try to ward off viruses and bacteria before they infect your child.
Good health hygiene includes:
Inform other parents when your child is getting over a cold or other illness, so they can be extra diligent with handwashing as well.
When caring for a sick child or baby, adults should wash their hands often, avoid touching their face and disinfect commonly used surfaces. To prevent getting sick or spreading illness, consider wearing a mask when handling the child and avoid sharing utensils, cups or towels.
Keep in mind that younger children, especially toddlers, are more prone to catching and transmitting viruses because their immune systems are still developing, and they frequently touch their faces, toys and other surfaces without proper handwashing.
Older children and adults who have previously been exposed to these germs, either through prior illnesses or vaccinations, typically have built up some immunity, which helps protect them from getting sick as often. This immunity serves as a shield, reducing the likelihood of contracting common infections. However, maintaining good hygiene and up-to-date vaccinations remains crucial for everyone. Take extra caution when you’re around baby or toddlers who have colds or symptoms of illness.
Kids are likely to be contagious for 1-2 days before the onset of symptoms and may be contagious even after they start feeling better. Again, exercise more caution when your child may be around young children, especially those under 3–6 months of age or those with compromised immune systems. Use good judgement to determine whether you or your child is contagious and if they can be around kids or go back to school after an illness. Always check for a fever or other symptoms and signs and watch your child’s general mood.
Find a Texas Children’s Pediatrics location near you. Existing patients with MyChart accounts can also schedule an appointment online.