Is an influenza pandemic spread the same way as coughs and colds ?
Yes. Respiratory infections, such influenza, are spread through droplets that have been coughed or sneezed into the air by someone who is infected with influenza. You can get influenza by breathing in these droplets through your nose or mouth or by the droplets landing directly on your eyes. The influenza virus is also found on the hands of people with influenza and on surfaces they have touched. You can become infected if you shake hands with infected persons or touch contaminated surfaces and transfer the virus to your own eyes, nose or mouth. Viruses live on hard surfaces for up to 48 hours.
