It’s a little crazy that many of us went to work with ugly colds before the coronavirus pandemic. There’s no good reason to get someone else sick, and a workplace full of sick people means no one does their job well.
But plug away, we did, while coughing and blowing our noses. That was me, plenty of times, and none of my editors ever suggested I go home.
The pandemic’s perhaps shiniest lining is that we’ve smartened up about that, or at least most of us have.
If you’re not sure how to conduct yourself this cold and flu season, here’s a primer with the latest tips from health experts, including Cleveland Clinic and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Full disclosure that some of the advice might have been the same pre-pandemic, but again, few bothered with it back then.
Universal cold and flu season etiquette
If you’re sick
Stay home. That’s the right thing to do whether you have a cold, COVID-19, the flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) or any other virus that’s easily transmissible through breathing or touching shared surfaces.
The CDC says that if you have a fever and respiratory symptoms you should isolate while your temperature is 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher (without medication, of course). After that and if your symptoms are improving, you’re okay to be around others.
Unfortunately, you also can be contagious before you know you’re sick, especially with COVID, but there’s not much you can do about it if you have no reason to think you’ve been exposed.
If you have COVID, tell folks whom you’ve been around the preceding five days. And if you’ve come down with a cold or the flu, consider telling people you’ve been around the preceding day or two. (You’re most contagious from the flu during the first three days of being sick and from a cold when your symptoms are worst, also usually the first three days.)
If you’ve just been sick
Once you’re green-lit to head out, Cleveland Clinic recommends you wear a mask and limit contact with others for the next five days “just to be on the safe side” if you had a respiratory virus.
That said, if you had COVID you can be contagious up to 10 days after your symptoms begin, according to the CDC’s 2026 Yellow Book, a reference for healthcare professionals. You’re contagious for up to two weeks from a cold and one week after symptoms start from the flu.
If you must go out in the world while sick
Wear an N-95 mask, and sanitize your hands with rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer before you put your paws on stuff others can touch.
If you don’t want to get sick
Take whatever precautions you want in order to keep yourself safe. That might mean wearing an N-95 mask to the grocery store or skipping a crowded event. You don’t have to explain yourself to anyone, but letting them know you’re trying to stay healthy will alleviate potential concerns they have about you being sick.
Sickness etiquette at work
If you greet colleagues or business acquaintances
It’s acceptable not to shake hands. This trend started during the pandemic and has maintained.
Elbow bumps work, as do nodding and gentle bows, which are greeting styles of many Eastern and Middle Eastern cultures. If you feel awkward, simply say you’re trying to avoid getting sick this season. No one can dispute that.
If you’re concerned you’ll hurt an important relationship by refusing someone’s gesture, go ahead and shake — but don’t touch your face afterward, and wash your hands as soon as you can.
Sickness etiquette in social circles
If you’ve been exposed to illness
If you’ve been around someone who’s sick — with a cold, COVID or other illness — and have plans to be around others, let them know. Then they can decide next steps, whether it’s asking you to take a COVID test, skip game night or come to dinner anyway.
If you’re feeling off
The rules here are basically the same as when you’ve been exposed to someone who’s sick: If you’re scheduled to rendezvous with others, let them know you don’t feel well so they can decide how to proceed.
If you’re slated to play host
You can be explicit about telling people to stay away if they don’t feel healthy. Also, as a general precaution, swap out cloth towels in bathrooms for decorative disposable towels (or even normal paper towels if you’re okay with informality).
And finally, basic cold and flu season etiquette
– Wash your hands frequently and before you touch your face.
– Cover your mouth with a tissue, and step away from others to sneeze or cough into it. Throw the tissue away, and wash your hands (or use hand sanitizer if you can’t). If you can’t use a tissue, sneeze or cough into the crook of your elbow or by ducking your head and doing it inside the neck opening of your shirt.
– Consider getting the annual flu shot and other seasonal vaccines you’re eligible for.
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