How Long Is Bronchitis Contagious For?

Why There's No Fixed Number of Days

Lung Foundation Australia's acute bronchitis page says the most common cause is a viral infection, which means it can spread. Less often, smoke, chemical fumes, pollution or bacteria are involved.

Healthdirect's bronchitis page names cold and flu viruses as usual causes. Neither source says when you can stop passing it on. So the honest answer is that it varies, and how you feel is the practical guide. If you're too unwell to work, a GP can assess whether a sick leave certificate is supported. For the condition itself, see the medical certificate for chest infection and bronchitis page.

A cold gives a useful comparison. Healthdirect's page on colds says symptoms usually get better within 7 to 10 days and peak on day 3 or 4. It adds that a cough can linger after other symptoms have gone.

The Numbers the Sources Do Give

Two figures are easy to confuse. One describes the infection. The other describes the cough. They aren't the same clock.

Look at the gap between the first row and the others. The infection itself usually clears within 3 to 10 days, according to Lung Foundation Australia. The cough is another matter and can hang on for weeks.

How Bronchitis Spreads at Work

The viruses behind bronchitis spread through the air when someone coughs. The bronchitis page adds that you can catch them by touching a surface such as a doorknob, then your eyes, nose or mouth.

Shared desks, phones, tools, and lunchrooms give those viruses a chance to move between people. Healthdirect suggests covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze, and washing your hands regularly.

Healthdirect also lists who faces higher risk: older people, young children, smokers and people with a lung condition such as asthma. It also lists people who haven't had flu, pneumococcal or whooping cough vaccines. If your workplace has people like that around you every day, a cough means more than it does in a quiet back office. If asthma is part of the picture, see the medical certificate for asthma page.

Deciding When to Go Back

Healthdirect's chest infection page says chest infections can be contagious and spread through coughs and sneezes. It advises against going to work, school or day care while you're feeling unwell.

Say a cafe worker's fever has settled, but they still cough hard enough to interrupt a conversation. Their energy is back, yet their lungs aren't. They're weighing two things: how well they can do the job today, and who they'll be breathing near. That's the call a GP helps with.

At the consult, the GP asks how unwell you feel and what your job involves, then decides which dates, if any, to certify. Fever, breathlessness, phlegm and tiredness all come up. The consult is by phone unless the GP decides video is needed. For anyone under 18, a parent or guardian joins, by phone or video as the GP decides.

Some workplaces, such as aged care or childcare, may have their own rules about coming back with respiratory symptoms. Check your workplace policy before your return date.

What a Phone Consult Can't Do for a Chest

A phone call can't include listening to your lungs. Lung Foundation Australia says doctors examine you for acute bronchitis and may order a chest X-ray if pneumonia is suspected. A certificate consult asks a narrower question about your work capacity. If the GP thinks your chest needs a proper examination, expect to be told so and to see a doctor in person.

What Your Employer May Ask For

Staying home is one thing. Getting leave paid is another. Fair Work's notice and evidence page says your employer should be told as soon as possible, even if you're already off by then. An employer can ask for evidence. Medical certificates and statutory declarations are examples of acceptable evidence, and your award or registered agreement can also set when evidence is needed.

When a Lingering Cough Needs a Doctor

The cough from acute bronchitis may last 2 to 3 weeks, and for some people up to 8. Healthdirect suggests seeing your doctor if it lasts longer than 2 to 3 weeks, to check for complications.

See a doctor sooner if you're very unwell, not improving or getting worse. The chest infection page lists a temperature of 38°C or higher, shortness of breath, and blood in your phlegm as reasons to see a doctor. It says to go to hospital if you're very short of breath or it hurts to breathe. Severe difficulty breathing needs a call to triple zero (000).