how long is a virus contagious for?

Hey there,

I have a 9 week old baby (almost) and as I was on my way out this morning for his CHN check, a friend of mine dropped in with her almost 12 month old. I let her inside as I was running around and dressing Leo, but I remember that she was telling me last week that her baby was sick and I heard her sounding stuffed up. Just as I remember that, the baby had a coughing fit and started wheezing a lot. I faced Leo the other way and sort of hinted that she leave, the baby coughed pretty close to Leo.

I am terrified of him getting sick again. He is fully BFed, but already had one cold caught from me and influenza also caught from me when he was 5 weeks old. He ended up in hospital on a drip for 3 days.

This was 4 weeks ago, but he's only just got over the influenza. This friend knows this and I'm very annoyed that she brought her sick baby into my house with my 9 week old.

So, if this baby was sick last Thursday (first symtpoms showing), would she still have been contagious today? the mother had only just got sick, so she would have been contagious, but Im more worried about this 12 month old coughing everywhere near Leo, she even put her on my bed where I was dressing Leo, next to him.

Any advice?

Not to worry, it looks like it's 3-5 days and that I'll find out if Leo has it in 2-8 days.

I'm upset as RSV is going around and it now looks like that's what the 12 month old has. I am very scared that Leo will get RSV, I saw babies in hospital with it and it was awful.

Why on earth would someone bring such a sick child to my house and seat her next to my newborn baby? Especially since she had a cough...wouldn't you think that you keep your child away from someone's house that has just had a baby?

I'm very angry and upset at the moment. Leo already had one stint in hospital from viruses and it was awful. If he gets sick from this, I will be livid.

I hope Leo will be ok... nothing worse then a sick bub. Poor thing already being in hospital due to sickness....

Id not dare take my babies to some ones house if they or even i was sick. Its just common sense.

GRRR how annoying. I am still aware of sick children around Josh and he is 12 months. He has had a terrible winter, constantly sick. One of the children in mothers group has started preschool and now seems to be always sick and passing it on to Josh, the mother still brings him even if he is coughing and sneezing, and sure enough Josh gets sick every time. I know how angrey you feel. Fingers crossed he is ok!