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how eye flu spread from one person to another
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Eye & Vision Disorders
Question #20610
46 days ago
105

how eye flu spread from one person to another - #20610

Reet

I am really confused about a situation that came up. A few days ago, my daughter started complaining about her eyes being super itchy and red. I thought maybe it was just allergies or something, you know how kids can be. But then, I noticed her friend had similar symptoms, and I’m a bit worried. I mean, I did some googling and saw that there’s this thing called “eye flu” or viral conjunctivitis, and I can't help but wonder how eye flu spread from one person to another. Is it just through direct contact or is it airborne too? Because they’ve been playing together a lot, sharing toys and stuff. I even overheard her saying she touched her eye after they had a little snack together, and that freaked me out. I’m trying to figure out how to keep my daughter safe, should I be keeping her at home now? Is it unavoidable when it comes to how eye flu spread from one person to another? I hope this doesn’t mean I’ll have to deal with a bunch of kids with red eyes running around. How long does this usually last? It all feels very overwhelming, and I’m trying to stay calm while figuring out the next steps. Any guidance would be hugely appreciated!

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Doctors' responses

Eye flu, often referred to as viral conjunctivitis, spreads primarily through direct contact with infectious discharge from an infected person’s eyes. When children play together, sharing toys, touching the same surfaces, or directly touching each other’s faces, the virus finds an easy pathway to spread. It’s not airborne like some other infections, meaning it doesn’t spread through the air, but rather through contact with contaminated hands or objects. If your daughter touches her eyes after touching infected surfaces, she can catch it quite easily. Ensuring good hand hygiene is crucial—frequent hand washing with soap and water can significantly reduce transmission. Disinfecting shared surfaces and toys regularly can help minimize the spread as well. As for the symptoms, viral conjunctivitis usually resolves on its own within a week to two weeks. During this time, to prevent further transmission, it’s advisable to keep your daughter at home if possible, especially avoiding playdates or school, until her eye is no longer red or secreting discharge. This minimizes the risk to others. Reinforce with her the importance of not touching her eyes and the benefit of washing hands frequently. Keeping her towel and pillowcases separate and changing them regularly can also help. If symptoms persist or worsen, consider seeking advice from a healthcare professional to rule out any complications or need for treatment modifications. Rest assured, while mildly inconvenient, eye flu is typically self-limiting and rarely leads to serious long-term issues.

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