Should You Stay at Home if You Have Influenza?
Yes, you should stay at home when you have influenza—this is a strongly supported public health measure to prevent transmission to others, and you should remain home until you are fever-free for at least 24 hours without fever-reducing medications. 1, 2
Why Staying Home Is Critical
Early isolation at home of people feeling unwell and feverish when influenza is circulating is a key personal protective measure recommended by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. 1 This recommendation is based on:
Transmission characteristics: You become contagious approximately 1 day before symptoms develop and typically remain infectious for about 5 days after symptom onset (though this varies by individual health status). 2
Evidence of effectiveness: A high-quality quasi-cluster randomized controlled trial demonstrated that implementing a stay-at-home policy when household members developed respiratory viral infections reduced the overall risk of influenza infection in workplaces by 20%. 1 Full compliance was achieved when employees received full pay and understood the public health benefit.
Droplet transmission: Influenza spreads mainly by large respiratory droplets depositing onto mucosal surfaces and through hand contact with contaminated surfaces. 3 Staying home prevents you from spreading these droplets in public spaces, workplaces, and schools.
When to Stay Home
You should isolate at home if you have: 1, 2
- Fever (temperature >38°C or more than 1°C above normal)
- Flu-like symptoms (cough, sore throat, body aches, fatigue)
- Any combination of respiratory symptoms with feeling unwell
How Long to Stay Home
Remain at home until you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications. 4, 2 This is distinct from quarantine recommendations—you are isolating because you are sick, not because you were exposed. 4
What About Your Household Contacts?
Asymptomatic household contacts do NOT need to quarantine for routine seasonal influenza. 4 The CDC does not recommend voluntary home quarantine of exposed household members during typical seasonal influenza because:
- Pre-symptomatic transmission is rare 1, 4
- Quarantine of all exposed contacts is impractical for routine seasonal influenza 4
- Infections transmitted by pre-symptomatic people are uncommon 1
Instead, household contacts should: 4, 2
- Practice regular handwashing and good respiratory hygiene
- Monitor themselves for symptoms
- Ensure they receive annual influenza vaccination (especially if they are high-risk or live with high-risk individuals)
Important Caveats
The severity of the outbreak matters. During high-severity pandemics or when novel influenza viruses circulate, voluntary home quarantine of exposed household members might be recommended—but this does NOT apply to routine seasonal influenza. 4 Do not confuse pandemic guidelines with seasonal influenza recommendations.
Healthcare and institutional settings require stricter measures. If you work in healthcare, nursing homes, or similar facilities, more stringent control measures apply, including isolation of confirmed cases, cohorting patients, and restricting staff movement between wards. 2
Protecting Others While Sick
While staying home, you should: 1, 2
- Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing using tissues
- Dispose of tissues appropriately
- Wash your hands frequently
- Avoid close contact with household members when possible
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces
The Public Health Perspective
Staying home when sick is not just about your individual recovery—it's about protecting vulnerable members of your community. 5 More than 35,000 deaths and 200,000 hospitalizations occur annually in the United States due to influenza, with the highest risk among children under 1 year, adults over 65 years, pregnant women, and people with chronic conditions. 6 Your decision to stay home can prevent transmission to these high-risk individuals.
The culture around "pushing through" illness needs to change—staying home when sick should be considered "the right thing to do" from both individual and public health perspectives. 5