# How long does a flu/cold virus linger in a body after the symptoms subside?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-a-flu-cold-virus-linger-in-a-body-after-the-symptoms-subside/623538>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 30, 2012, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-a-flu-cold-virus-linger-in-a-body-after-the-symptoms-subside/623538 "2012-05-30T12:44:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-a-flu-cold-virus-linger-in-a-body-after-the-symptoms-subside/623538/1 "2012-05-30T12:44:45Z")

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Does the body kill them all within a week or so, or do they linger for quite awhile afterwards while inducing no physical symptoms?

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**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-a-flu-cold-virus-linger-in-a-body-after-the-symptoms-subside/623538/2 "2012-05-30T14:36:57Z")

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> [@John\_DiFool](#):
>
> Does the body kill them all within a week or so, or do they linger for quite awhile afterwards while inducing no physical symptoms?

At least some of the flu symptoms we feel are a result of our immune system fighting the attack, however we don’t have to wipe out every single virus in order to feel better and no longer be contagious.

I suspect that some virus particles survive for quite a long time after we get better because there are no longer enough of them to make us sick or to trigger a massive immune response.

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**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-a-flu-cold-virus-linger-in-a-body-after-the-symptoms-subside/623538/3 "2012-05-31T01:22:59Z")

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Don’t know if this is factual enough for GQ, but when I had H1N1 around an un-vaccinated pregnant coworker, my doctor told me to either stay home or wear a mask at work during symptoms and for 48 hours after symptoms subsided. I stayed home for two days and wore a mask for 2 days. No one else got sick with it.