12 Things You Think Are Contagious—But Aren’t
Just because something looks bad doesn’t mean it’s contagious—and that includes these icky diseases, disorders, and infections
If you’re not sure what condition someone has and you’re not a medical professional, you probably won’t be able to tell. Visible symptoms for contagious and non-contagious diseases can seem identical, and the mode of transmission depends on the particular disease. “There is not a single relationship between the cause of an infection and its contagiousness, as there are bacterial diseases that are contagious and others that are not,” explains Amesh Adalja, MD, an infectious disease physician and Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, adding that the same is true for the world’s smorgasbord of viruses. And then there are the conditions caused by a malfunctioning immune system or environmental factors. The bottom line: It’s never a bad idea to take safety precautions. “Overall,” says Dr. Adalja, “being vaccinated and frequent handwashing are good practices regardless
How can you tell if something’s contagious?