Here’s Exactly How Long It Takes To Get Sick After Being Exposed To The Flu

This flu season has been the worst season the country has seen in at least 15 years. According to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been upwards of 24 million cases, 310,000 hospitalizations and 13,000 deaths.

And we aren’t out of the woods yet. Flu rates are currently dropping from their peak, but many states still have high levels of flu, and that’ll likely be the case for some time. The flu “certainly is still around,” said Dr. Beth Thielen, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota Medical School.

Don’t be deceived by the changing weather, either. “I think we see quite a tail out into the spring, and people should be aware that flu circulates around the globe year-round,” Thielen said.

That means there are still plenty of chances you could get sick. And if you are exposed, you might wonder how long it’ll take before the symptoms smack you (if they do at all). Below, medical experts share just how long it takes to come down with the flu after being exposed and what to do if you do get sick:

It takes one to four days to get sick with the flu after being exposed to the virus.

The typical flu incubation period, which is the time it takes from being exposed to a virus to coming down with symptoms, is “somewhere between one and four days,” Thielen said. “Maybe a peak around two days.”

Exactly when you get sick does vary but “when you look at the collective data that is looking at household exposures, the mean time usually is around three days,” noted Elisabeth Marnik, a scientist and contributor for Those Nerdy Girls, an online resource for factual health and science information.

“We list it as a range because there are sometimes exceptions. Some people get it faster, and for some reason, some people get it a little bit later. But I would say that two to three days would be the typical exposure window,” Marnik noted.

Flu spreads through respiratory droplets, which spray when someone coughs or sneezes, Thielen said. So if you are sick (or someone in your household is), it’s a good idea to wear a mask or stay entirely away from others.

The virus also spreads through touch. “If somebody coughs or sneezes and then touches a surface like a light switch or a doorknob, they are leaving behind that flu virus on those surfaces that someone else can come along and pick up,” Thielen added. This makes proper hand washing important, as well.

Even if you don’t have flu symptoms (such as body aches, fever, fatigue and cough) yet, you can still spread the illness. Folks who are infected can shed the virus roughly a day before having symptoms, Thielen said. If you know you’ve been exposed to the flu, consider wearing a mask when around others even if you don’t have any symptoms.

For people who are exposed to flu and are high-risk, talk to your doctor about preventative measures.

According to Thielen, there are antiviral medications available for high-risk adults and children (generally kids under 5) that reduce the likelihood of developing a symptomatic flu infection after a flu exposure. The most well-known post-flu exposure medication is Tamiflu, which is also used as a flu treatment after someone has symptoms.

The medications that decrease the likelihood of developing a symptomatic flu infection ― like Tamiflu, Xofluza, Relenza ― are really just meant for people in a high-risk group, Thielen noted. That includes children under 5, people over 65 and those with certain chronic conditions. If that’s you or your child, you can talk to your doctor about treatment.

If you’re not high-risk, there are other precautions you can take if you’ve been exposed.

If you’ve been around someone with the flu but aren’t at risk of severe disease or hospitalization, buy yourself an at-home flu antigen test, Marnik advised. At-home flu tests, which are much like at-home COVID tests, are available at stores like CVS and Walgreens, and on sites like Amazon.

“That way you have it on hand so that if you do get sick, you don’t have to go out and try to get one and spread the virus,” Marnik added.

From there, monitor yourself to see if you come down with any common flu symptoms. If you do end up getting ill, it’s likely that you’ll feel sick all at once.

“With flu, symptom onset can actually occur pretty quickly. Within our family, my daughter was fine, and then three hours later, she had a 103 degree fever,” Marnik said. “Symptoms can occur pretty fast.”

Once you’re exposed to the flu, there isn’t a special remedy that will keep you healthy. Instead, you should be aware that you have been exposed, monitor for symptoms and do what you can ― like wearing a mask ― to prevent the spread to someone else, Marnik said.

If you do come down with the flu, talk to your doctor about treatments. “You can reach out to your physician and see if you qualify for any flu antivirals, because they can help decrease severity, particularly for patients who are younger or higher risk, but they have to be started early in the infection,” Marnik said. “The earlier you start them, the more effective they are.”

It’s also not too late to get your flu shot.

The flu shot offers the best protection against the virus. While most people associate the flu shot with the fall, it’s not too late in the season to get vaccinated.

“Given how high the cases have been, I know pretty much everyone I talked to has still been stressing the importance of getting the flu vaccine now, if you haven’t already,” Marnik said.

Anyone six months and older is eligible for the flu shot, and you can find the vaccine at pharmacies and doctor’s offices in your area. Having your flu shot will help decrease the likelihood of severe disease for the rest of the flu season, Thielen stressed. That way, even if you do get sick, you won’t get as sick as you would have without the shot.