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You are here: Experts > Health/Fitness > Women's Health > Family, Internal Medicine, General Medical Questions > Low grade fevers
Expert: Robert Borucki - 10/31/2009
Question
Robert:
With regards to fevers/minor illnesses, doctors usually recommend that the person not return to work and/or school until his/her temperature is normal for 24 hours. Is the person simply more infectious as long as a fever is present? Also, what about a low-grade fever (example 99.7)? Is an individual just as infectious to others whether the temp is 102 or 99.7?
Thank you for your reply.
Ann
Answer
The assumption is that there are viral particles (or bacterial) in the body and therefore able to be transmitted if there is a fever, because the foreign particles stimulate our immune system and one part generates a temperature to help fight off the bugs.... so yes, it is a good rule of thumb to consider someone contagious until the fever is definitely gone..... The same infection in two different people can produce no fever, slight fever or significant fever... so the actual numbers are less important than if the person has a temp different from what they usually have.
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