People with the flu can give it to anyone within about 6 feet. (Keep that in mind the next time you’re on a bus or a train and someone is coughing and sneezing.) The flu usually spreads when a sick person coughs, sneezes, or talks. Droplets of saliva and mucus can travel to your nose or mouth. You can also get the flu by touching something like a door handle or a phone with the virus on it.