Most of the time, infections are spread through bodily fluids from sneezing or coughing and touching your face, etc. Some of the more common contagious infections are the common cold, flu, chicken pox, and measles.
There is a difference between contagious and infectious though, before you get confused!
Infectious diseases are caused by microscopic germs e.g. bacteria or viruses that cause problems once they are in the body. However, not all infectious diseases are contagious. If a disease is contagious, it means that is spread from person to person.
An example of a non-contagious infectious disease in Lyme disease, which is spread from insect to human, but NOT from human to human.
And my favorite one (which I spend time working with) is Norovirus aka winter vomiting disease. This is contagious rather than infectious – and generally self limiting. Usually it lasts 24-48 h and to minimize spreading you should limit contact with others (no school, work etc) for at least 48h after the last symptom! Yuk ?
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