How long is someone contagious with the flu? mother would like to visit this weekend & she has health problems - i can't risk sharing.

Let me explain: The U.S. Library of medicine, defines communicability as the time it takes an infectious agent to be transmitted from an infected person to another person. Once infected with influenza type illnesses, the affected person may begin shedding the virus to others one day before signs and symptoms occur and continue to be contagious 5 to 7 days after symptoms begin.