Still coughing — are you still infectious?

2026-06-02

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Cold season is upon us, so it’s no wonder you’re side-eyeing that person coughing on the bus.But does a cough mean someone is still infectious? How do you know you’re in the clear to go back to work?Norman and Tegan talk through the science, and also how attitudes have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic.References: How Long Does a Cough Last? Comparing Patients’ Expectations With Data From a Systematic Review of the Literature Acute cough in outpatients: what causes it, how long does it last, and how...

Cold season is upon us, so it’s no wonder you’re side-eyeing that person coughing on the bus.

But does a cough mean someone is still infectious? How do you know you’re in the clear to go back to work?

Norman and Tegan talk through the science, and also how attitudes have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic.

References:

How Long Does a Cough Last? Comparing Patients’ Expectations With Data From a Systematic Review of the Literature
Acute cough in outpatients: what causes it, how long does it last, and how severe is it for different viruses and bacteria?
Estimating influenza latency and infectious period durations using viral excretion data
Duration of viral infectiousness and correlation with symptoms and diagnostic testing in non-hospitalized adults during acute SARS-CoV-2 infection: A longitudinal cohort study
How the pandemic shaped presenteeism trends between healthcare and non-healthcare workers using the Korean working conditions surveys (2010–2023)
Sickness Presenteeism in the Aftermath of COVID-19: Is Presenteeism Remote-Work Behavior the New (Ab)normal?
Over‐the‐counter (OTC) medications for acute cough in children and adults in community settings
Comprehensive evidence-based review on European antitussives

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