Easy to spread disease is spread by contact, while Infectious diseases spread by infectious agents. Something that is “contagious” is by default “contagious” because contact exposes you to an infectious agent, but something that is contagious is not always contagious. You can get food poisoning, which is not contagious by itself.
The flu season dwindles every year, and we wonder if our sick colleagues will pass it on to us. If they do, is it because they’re contagious? Or because they’re contagious? What exactly is the difference?
Infectious diseases are spread by contact, while infectious diseases are spread by infectious agents.
Infectious vs contagious
The key point of difference is this: infectious diseases are spread by contact, while infectious diseases are spread by infectious agents.
So if contact with a sniffling coworker causes you to develop a runny nose, that coworker’s runny nose is highly contagious. (If a coworker’s runny nose is caused by allergies, you may not be able to detect them because allergy symptoms are not contagious.)
But here’s the thing: your coworker’s contagious runny nose is contagious, too.
Huh? You then. Infectious runny nose is a runny nose spread by infectious agents; an infectious agent is something that makes you sick, usually a virus or bacteria.
Anything contagious is automatically contagious: if you can get an infection from someone, that disease is passed on to you through an infectious agent.
But the reverse is not true. Just because something is contagious doesn’t mean it’s contagious. Food poisoning is a good example of a contagious but not contagious condition: food can be contaminated with bacteria that make you sick, but you can’t pass your food poisoning on to others just by shake hands or even kiss them.
Using figurative meanings of contagion and contagion
Both of these words are also used figuratively, often in much more cheerful contexts. Your sniffling co-workers may also have contagious laughter or contagious enthusiasm. While both words are used for both pleasant and unpleasant things, contagious often chosen for unpleasant things, as in “contagious grumpiness”.
Categories: Usage Notes
Source: vothisaucamau.edu.vn
