my wife and i are 80, one of us is in the later stages of a severe attack, the other in the middle stage.can we keep reinfecting each other? or is it contgious only during the, onset of the illness?
Answer --------------------------
Most infections of the respiratory tract in otherwise healthy humans are spread by air-borne routes or other means of close contact whereby secretions from an infected individual reach another individual. The degree of communicability of an infectious disease is dependent upon multiple factors including the virulence (or aggressiveness) of the organism, the concentration of the organism in the transmitted secretions, the susceptibility of the host (individual about to be infected) including state of health, immune function, nutritional status and particularly hygiene amongst many other factors.
Once infected host defenses work to neutralize the infectious organism via the immune system. The function and strength of the immune system is essentially directly proportional to one's overall health status and nutritional status. In the case of bacterial organisms causing infection, the addition of antibiotics often helps to speed the resolution of an infection, however, an intact immune system is still the primary means of eradicating even bacterial infections. It is also important to note that antibiotics do not generally help speed the resolution of viral illnesses such as the common cold. With time, the host immune system works to decrease the concentration of organisms and therefore renders the infection less contagious.
Prolonged symptoms or relapsing symptoms may reflect incomplete resolution of an infection. The reasons for this may include deficiency in the host immune system, unusual virulence or resistance of the organism, or other factors which foster the continued survival of an organism. It would be less likely to be a result of re-infection with the same organism. In any case, such a situation would certainly warrant consultation with a physician.
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Steve Dankle, MD
Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Milwaukee, Wis
NOTICE: OFCN is not engaged in the rendering of professional medical services. The information contained on this system or any other OFCN system should not supplant individual professional consultation. It is offered exclusively as a community education service. Advice on individual problems must be obtained directly from a professional.
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