Scarlet fever or something else?

[SpecialSnowflake]

DS is 4.5, and came out in a full-body pink rash on Friday morning, which had crept up his neck and behind his ears. He then complained of a headache, and said yes when I asked if his throat hurt.
There had been no rash present the night before, and he's had cold symptoms on and off for the last few months so I hadn't paid much attention to his sneezes and sore throat.

The preschool at his school had a case of Scarlet Fever reported a couple of days before half term, so I figured he had caught it there, the rash looked very similar to those on Google but less florid.
Saw GP on Fri PM, he said it wasn't classic Scarlet Fever as he didn't have a high temperature (only 37+) or red/white swollen strawberry tongue, but that he would treat it as such and prescribed 10 days of antibiotics (5ml four times a day, for 10 days)
This means DS won't be infectious after tomorrow and can go back to school on Monday.

However, a school mum said her DS had the exact same symptoms but the doc sent a swab off and it came back negative for Scarlet Fever - his was just a virus.
Today the rash has spread up to his eyes and down his legs. Cheeks flushed, but acting fairly normally, up to no good etc.
I really don't want to give him ABs unnecessarily, do you think I should take him to the GP again on Monday?

[SpecialSnowflake]

Oops, by full-body I meant all over his torso front and back.

The rash doesn't photograph well, he looks really quite red in person but much more normal in pics! It's pretty dense, but looks sparse in the pic.

[helensburgh]

I'd give the antibiotics anyway.
We all had scarlet fever one Xmas was miserable. None of us had the strawberry tongue.
Is the rash like sandpaper.
I felt so much better 2 days after starting the antibiotics.
He's btteer soon

[SpecialSnowflake]

Thanks helen!
We started the ABs yesterday afternoon, I guess I was wondering if they might let him off taking the full 10 days if it isn't actual Scarlet Fever - apart from Friday he hasn't really been unwell with it, pretty normal today, and not that bad even on Fri.

[Witchend]

Looks like slapped face (palvro virus) rather than scarlet fever to me on the photos. It's the clear round the mouth that makes it look like that to me.

My dc had that all the way over their body, looked like they'd been badly sunburnt, it only after I'd been to the GP spread to the face. Although it looked terrible they weren't very ill with it, even dd2 who tended to run major temperatures.

You can take back to the GP, but they won't do anything if it is. Piriton helps.
Avoid pregnant women, which you would with scarlet fever anyway.
If you've started giving the antibiotics you need to complete the course anyway. And it's very infectious so keep away from school, can't remember how long for though.

[sunnydayinmay]

I thought slapped cheek too. I missed the red face with ds1, and only realised when it spread across his legs. Agree with what Witchend says.

[AuntieMaggie]

If it is slapped cheek it's no longer contagious by the time the rash appears according to this

[SpecialSnowflake]

I don't think it's slapped cheek as the body rash arrived long before the cheeks went pink this afternoon. He was ashen faced on Friday, with just a bit of rash around his mouth.
The NHS scarlet fever advice, confirmed by GP, was that he won't be contagious after 24 hours of ABs, so def fine to go back to school on Monday, assuming he still feels well.

I'll keep giving him the ABs, was just hoping they might let him off the second half of the course tbh, but doesn't sound likely.

[SpecialSnowflake]

RE above, apparently the body rash comes after the cheeks in Slapped Cheek, which is what makes me think it unlikely.

Terrible timing, we've seen three heavily pregnant friends in the last week, but having read up on it, apparently SF isn't a risk. Nonetheless I've called them all and they've informed their midwives, just to be on the safe side.

[Witchend]

For mine the body rash came first. It is dangerous for pregnant women particularly in 2nd trimester.
I was in close contact when pg with dd1, but most people have had it by adulthood.