How long is bronchiolitis contagious for?

[NuzzleandScratch]

Does anyone know? I can't seem to find out online. Dd2 was diagnosed a week before Christmas & was prescribed inhalers, but didn't need to be hospitalised. By Christmas, she was much better, but afterwards then came down with another virus, & the bronch cough came back. She seems much better now, except for a lingering cough, but this isn't a 'barking' cough any more.

I'm trying to arrange to visit a friend & her 4 week old son, but obviously I don't want to pass on anything to him. So how long should I sensibly wait before seeing them?

[BeaWheesht]

Honestly, I don't know but I wouldn't take a kid with a cough to see a tiny baby anyways.

Ps is broncholitis a barking cough too? Just wondering as dd not long since recovered from croup...

[canyou]

I honestly don't know how long it takes to clear the virus but it is spread through droplets from coughing and as babies under 6 months are apparently more in danger with this virus I would not take your dd to see the baby,
But you could ask your GP or a chemist/pharmacy for advice.

[NuzzleandScratch]

Don't worry, I won't take her to see the baby while she's still coughing.

Bea, apparently so, we were seeing a dr the other day about something else, and she heard dd2's cough, & said that it was the typical bronchiolitis cough, & can apparently last for weeks! Before she was diagnosed, I was thinking croup too, after seeing an episode of Get Well Soon about it on CBeebies! (not my usual source of medical info I hasten to add!)

[BeaWheesht]

Interesting. Croup was utterly terrifying and more terrifying was being in a sleep deprived haze on the afternoon of the fourth day of no sleep with dd and hearing dr ranj singing about croup. If ds hadnt been there to comment on it I would've thought I was hallucinating.

will not mention the 'just squeeze your poo out' song

[NuzzleandScratch]

Eeeew, haven't heard that one, good old Dr Ranj! Mind you, could be useful for dd1, who refuses to poo on the toilet, despite weeing on there since May, argh! (that's another thread). Hope your dd is ok now. Didn't mention that dd2 is only 5 months, not sure is that makes any difference to the recovery time. We actually called an ambulance for her one night earlier this week, as she had gaps in her breathing, but thankfully all was well, she just seems to have a cold on top of the other stuff.

[BeaWheesht]

Nuzzle - dshad problems with potty training poo too - will reply tomorrow as shattered.

[LIZS]

It isn't as such.,but the virus which causes it ,RSV, is same as a common cold in older children/adults. Ask the new mum if she is happy for you to go. Your dd shouldn't be contagious now anyway.

[NuzzleandScratch]

Thanks LIZS, you're probably right. Might leave it a couple of weeks, just to be on the safe side.

Bea, if you have any tips on the poo training, I'd be very grateful!

[McPhee]

My Dd had Bronchiolitis a few months back. She still has the croupy cough. She's 6 months old, and I was told it can last months

[NuzzleandScratch]

Oh that's rotten McPhee, hope it clears soon! We've all had some sort of virus involving a cough in the week after Christmas, dd1 was particularly poorly, just out of it for 6 days. Unfortunately dd2, who had been getting better, then became poorly again. She's definitely coughing less though, so hopefully she wasn't a bad case. Not sure if this is true, but my dr said that summer is a bad time to be born, as the antibodies from the placenta start to wear off after about 6 months, just as all the winter bugs are doing the rounds. She's ebf though, so hopefully that's helped a bit.

[McPhee]

I'm not sure but Dd was born at the end of June, and she's ebf too. Despite that, she ended up with Bronch, now this cough and also already had a heavy cold

[AbrarAhmad31]

Acute bronchitis often develops three or four days after a person is infected by cold and flu viruses, usually during the changing of seasons. It starts as a dry cough and in successive days bring up mucus in the nasal pathways, known as bronchial tubes due to inflammation and immune response of the body. The inner lining of the airways swell and grow thicker and narrower and can last for a few weeks to a few months, depending on how your immune system responds to the infection. In most cases the person is brought down with a fever. The three main symptoms of bronchitis are coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. Some other symptoms include fatigue, nausea, tightness of chest, tiredness and coughing up blood. Acute bronchitis is most case is caused by viruses and in only rare cases is caused by bacteria. Bronchitis can also be caused by chemical irritants, smoke, smog and fumes and lasts only as long as the person is exposed to these lung irritants. Allergens are pollen, grain dust, fabric fibers and animal hairs can also cause the symptoms of bronchitis by contracting the bronchial tubes, making the person vulnerable to infections and producing mucus as an immune response. In this case the symptoms of bronchitis will persist in the throat until exposure to the allergens ends. As smoking can cause acute bronchitis they have a hard time recovering if they show symptoms of the illness. The harmful chemicals in the smoke cover the bronchial tubes which initiate the body to produce mucus as a response to the irritants and results in a cough characteristic to smokers known as smoker’s cough. If the smoker does not stop smoking, it can develop into chronic bronchitis, lung damage and infections.
Reference: bit.ly/2b4w5Rg

[ShowOfHands]

I'm sure after nearly 4 years, the op has moved on.