# A question about the H1N1 Flu virus and contagion. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 14, 2014, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-the-h1n1-flu-virus-and-contagion/678777 "2014-01-14T12:35:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-the-h1n1-flu-virus-and-contagion/678777/1 "2014-01-14T12:35:31Z")
Can someone tell me how this works please. My sister works at a jail and they have two pods on quarantine because of this flu. One inmate has died. She wants to come visit us, but she’s worried that she’ll be contagious and we have a toddler in the family. So, should she stay away for awhile? As far as I know, she is not sick in anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-the-h1n1-flu-virus-and-contagion/678777/2 "2014-01-14T13:19:56Z")
Unfortunately, flu incubates about 1-4 days before showing symptoms and you can [be infectious while asymptomatic](http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/spread.htm) a day or so prior to developing symptoms of your own. So there is definitely a risk. At least a half dozen people have died in the Chicago area already this season, and the hospital I work for requires all employees with patient contact to be vaccinated; those with medical conditions preventing them from being safely vaccinated have to wear masks when with a patient, regardless of whether either of them is showing symptoms. This is being taken seriously. Missed the edit: I wrote with the assumption that no one was vaccinated, as I figured that would have been an important thing to mention. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-the-h1n1-flu-virus-and-contagion/678777/3 "2014-01-14T13:20:14Z")
Did she get vaccinated this year? Did your toddler? If so the risk of contagiousness in her to your toddler without her having any symptoms is so small as to be not worth considering. You have more risk going to the grocery store. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-the-h1n1-flu-virus-and-contagion/678777/4 "2014-01-14T13:45:50Z")
I didn’t know when I posted, but she did get her shot and so did the baby, so we should be okay. Thanks you guys. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-the-h1n1-flu-virus-and-contagion/678777/5 "2014-01-14T16:06:27Z")
Did this year’s general flu shot include the H1-N1 among the strains? I know it varies from year to year … ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-the-h1n1-flu-virus-and-contagion/678777/6 "2014-01-14T19:26:56Z")
I’m 99.9% certain that I read somewhere that it did. In fact, I think I read it here. I’ll see if I can dig something up if somebody doesn’t beat me to it. I’ll try the CDC’s main page first. ---
**Author:** ![conurepete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@conurepete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conurepete)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-the-h1n1-flu-virus-and-contagion/678777/7 "2014-01-14T20:12:30Z")
I got the flu shot in October and am currently home sick with H1N1. It is super nasty in the lungs. ---
**Author:** ![conurepete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@conurepete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conurepete)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-the-h1n1-flu-virus-and-contagion/678777/8 "2014-01-14T20:14:16Z")
Apparently my case would have been worse without the shot, but I have asthma, even this " mild" case almost resulted in a trip to the hospital. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-the-h1n1-flu-virus-and-contagion/678777/9 "2014-01-14T20:19:16Z")
Yes, a [H1N1 strain was chosen](http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/vaccine-selection.htm).