When you or someone in your family comes down with a fever, you’re naturally going to wonder where it came from. You’re also bound to wonder if it can be passed along to other people. Fevers can be scary, especially when they soar past 100 degrees and are accompanied by other symptoms.
It’s important to keep in mind that fevers are symptoms of illnesses and infections rather than actual conditions all their own. They can stem from a long list of causes. When you ask, “are fevers contagious” there’s no all-encompassing answer. Whether a fever can be spread from one person to another depends on what’s causing it, and it’s actually the cause that may or may not be passed along, not the fever itself.
Why Do We Run Fevers?
Fevers are part of the body’s natural defenses against infections. When bacteria and viruses get into your body, it produces a variety of immune cells to attack those harmful invaders. Your immune system also raises your body temperature to get rid of the pathogens. Many of them thrive at around 98.6 degrees, but temperatures over 100 degrees make it difficult for them to survive and reproduce. That’s a general figure; there are certainly exceptions.
Conditions That Are Contagious
Numerous illnesses are contagious. Those include the flu, colds, RSV, COVID-19, chickenpox, measles, and strep throat to name a few. Those illnesses cause fevers. They also come with a range of additional symptoms from headaches and sore throats to blisters and rashes.
Some contagions are spread through droplets in the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Others are spread through direct contact with an infected person. In some cases, people can spread infections to others without even realizing they’re sick.
Conditions That Aren’t Contagious
That being said, not all illnesses that cause fevers are contagious. Sometimes, fevers are caused by internal inflammation, autoimmune conditions, and reactions to certain medications. Heat exhaustion, urinary tract infections, kidney infections, and tooth abscesses are also fever-inducing conditions that can’t be spread from one person to another.
Should You Avoid Contact with Others?
If you’re trying to decide whether it’s safe to go out in public or send your children to school, the general rule of thumb is to wait until the fever has been gone for at least 24 hours without help from a fever-reducing medication. That’s particularly important if the condition that caused the condition is contagious or you aren’t sure if it can be passed to others.
If you’re concerned that someone you know who has been sick might pass their illness along to your family, the same rules apply. Avoid contact with that person until you’re sure they haven’t had a fever for at least 24 hours. It may be best to wait even longer just to be safe. Encourage your family to wash their hands often with antibacterial soap and use hand sanitizer between washings too.
The Bottom Line
Fevers aren’t contagious. They’re simply symptoms of illnesses. Many of those illnesses can be passed from one person to another through drops of mucus, phlegm, and saliva or direct contact. Germs can live on surfaces for anywhere from a few hours to a few months as well, so you don’t necessarily have to touch an infected person to come into contact with their contagions.
