Thank you! Finally, the answer: Yes: immune-compromised people carry a virus longer than the non-immune-compromised, thus I need to wait longer before I interact with them. My romantic partner always seems to be fighting off something, and since our close relationship, I have had many more bad colds than usual. I now wonder whether they are ever virus-free for long. I am older and value our friendship, but I need to protect myself. Although we both lose, maybe romance is a health risk at this junction.