What is the typical flu duration?

According to the CDC, most people with the flu recover within a few days to less than two weeks. Most healthy adults can infect other people starting one day before symptoms surface and for up to a week after becoming ill.

According to the CDC, children are capable of spreading the virus for more than a week after getting sick. Symptoms of the flu virus start to show up between one and four days after entering the body. People with the flu can spread it to others up to 6 feet away. People age 65 and older, those with chronic conditions, pregnant women and young children are considered high-risk groups for developing serious flu-related complications.