Rude or just cautious?

I don't think it's rude at all.

I have a crappy immune system, and if I am around sick people I WILL usually get sick. (And I'm a nurse, go figure.) Also, I work with babies, some of them premature, and I can't take the chance of getting my little patients sick. They could DIE! I have to stay away from sick people. Of course, you can't stay away from everybody with a mild cold. But stomach flu? You shouldn't be out of the house, certainly NOT in public. We could eliminate most forms of gastroenteritis in a generation if people just stayed home until they were well. And things like true Influenza? One has no right to be out in public. It's a HUGE health hazard.

Also, many people care about others and wouldn't work or go out in public while sick. If someone who doesn't care gets THEM sick, those people are negatively effecting their time, their life and their ability to earn and income. I don't get sick pay, so if I have to stay home because I got sick, I suffer, as does my family!

Working in health care, I see just how sick people CAN get. There's a reason we wear gloves and a mask around sick people in health care.

People can be nice about it, "Please, if you are contagious, please don't come around myself or my children as we will then get sick and it will effect our time and our health." Again, I don't get sick pay, so if my KIDS get sick I have to miss work and not get paid, because someone else was careless with their own germs. People DO need to be mindful of their health status when being social.

Still, I see nothing more "rude" than someone with a full blown Influenza, or a rampant case of diarrhea showing up and sitting next to me at a dinner party or at Christmas because "I didn't want to miss it."

For the health and well being of others and for the health of oneself, one owes it to oneself to stay home when contagious.

Exactly. Because many of us have more than just ourselves to care about. We have partners and children, aging parents who may have failing immune systems, and maybe the people we work with, and in my case, my patients. A preterm baby gets a "cold" because I wasn't careful, he or she could end up back in the hospital on a respirator. That could seriously impact her ongoing bonding with her parents, disrupt her feeding status and growth ability, not to mention the high cost of preterm or sick baby care.

Many of us have many people we impact with our daily lives and choices. It is the rare, and I'd say unusual person, who only has themselves to worry about.

No, I don't find it rude at all. And not because I'm rude, but because I really don't want to get sick. I of course hope my friend feels better soon, but I appreciate knowing if they are sick, and I will let others know when I am sick, too, and try to avoid passing the bug.

I have 2 kids, I don't want sick people coming near me, because it always gets the kids sick, and it's awful for them.

I agree. I don't mind if I'm sick and a friend keeps their distance. I do the same usually (whether I'm sick or they are). It's not like I'd try to get them sick. But if someone flat out just says "Keep your nasty sickness away from me!" not jokingly I might they're being rude. Expecially if it's a close friend or my partner.
I think as long as the sick person isn't all over you, it's not nessisary to make a big deal out of it.

I would agree, its a bit rude to say it out loud. I would just do what you do and be cautious to stay away from them lol. I have kids, including a small child, so I try to make sure that I am careful who they are around. If one of them comes up sick, I usually make calls to let other parents know just in case.