Determine your flu risk

We enlisted Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, to evaluate some of the things we commonly do to keep ourselves flu-free and tell us how much they help or hurt our odds of catching the flu. 

Try our admittedly unscientific quiz and, starting with a score of 0, see how a variety of factors affect your risk of developing the flu.

True

Question 1 of 16

Risk Factor:

You don’t smoke

False

Risk factor: 

Smoking is an absolute risk factor for all respiratory illnesses, because of the damage that occurs to the lungs. 

Question 1 of 16

Next

Question 2 of 16

You sleep 8 hrs every night

Risk factor:

Osterholm said he knew of no data to support the idea that adequate sleep helps prevent influenza.

Risk factor:

Your spouse has the flu

Question 3 of 16

Once you’re in a household where somebody has the flu, you may not get sick but you’re at a high risk.

Question 4 of 16

You’re flying out of town

“Planes are a great respiratory virus mixing bowl,” said Osterholm. “You enhance your risk there.”

Question 5 of 16

You leave the house with wet hair

“If it’s 20 below and you leave your house with wet hair, good luck. It has nothing to do with infectious diseases.”

Question 6 of 16

You don’t work with the public

Not being exposed to large numbers of people, some of whom may be sick “surely reduces your risk.”

Question 7 of 16

You live in a cold climate

Once flu starts to take off in an area, it doesn’t matter where you are. Still, flu likes cold and dryor tropical weather.

Question 8 of 16

You work at a school/daycare

In young children who haven’t had the flu, the virus is more likely to be transmitted to them and through them.

Question 9 of 16

You exercise regularly

While a boon for health, it’s “not a flu fighter,” he said.

Question 10 of 16

Your kids have the flu

Kids are major carriers. Younger ones can be contagious for more than a week after they’ve been infected.

Question 11 of 16

You take Vitamin C

Though popular, it has not been clearly demonstrated to prevent onset of the flu.

Question 12 of 16

You use a public restroom

The flu virus dies quickly in the environment, so risk of contracting it by touching surfaces is low.

Question 13 of 16

You live in a dormitory

In a dorm, you tend to be around a younger- age population that still has a higher risk for flu. 

Question 14 of 16

You eat chicken noodle soup

“It may make you feel better,” said Osterholm, “but it doesn’t do anything to prevent or reduce your illness.”

You use hand sanitizer

Question 15 of 16

“I’m very high on hand washing,” Osterholm said, but it’s been “oversold” as a flu prevention tool.

Question 16 of 16

You got a flu shot and you’re aged 18 or under

Age and other variables can impact how effective the shot is. Still, Osterholm and other public health leaders agree that the flu vaccine is the best prevention tool currently available.

You got a flu shot and you’re between ages 19 and 64

You got a flu shot and you’re over the age of 64

Start over

Your risk factor is:

Remember, even if you’re doing all the right things to dodge the flu, you still may catch this wily virus.