Several recent studies have concluded that the novel H1N1 flu virus might be more contagious and contagious longer than was anticipated. Currently, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s advice is to stay home for two days after fever symptoms subside, but researchers have found that the virus may still be in the nostrils of a infected person for a week or more and as long as 16 days after symptoms have abated.

The studies did show that people tend to shed high quantities of virus two days before they show symptoms and for two days after the symptoms abate. Unfortunately, the studies were inconclusive about how much virus is required to infect a person. So although a person might still have virus present a week after her last fever, she might not be shedding sufficient virus to infect others. However, researchers noted that for full precaution, infected persons should stay isolated until two days after they stop coughing.

It would appear the medical folks have resigned themselves to the fact that there is just no containing the virus at this point:

It is unclear whether the new research will lead the CDC to rethink its advice on how long people with swine flu should hole up. Long breaks from school and work do not seem worth it for a virus that now seems to cause mostly mild illness, said the CDC’s flu chief, Nancy Cox. Swine flu is spreading so widely now that confining the sick does less good, she said.

“We tried to have our guidance balance out all of these factors,” she said. “It’s just virtually impossible not to have virus introduced into settings such as schools and universities.”

Just try not to get it before the vaccine arrives in a month. Yeah, good luck with that ….