So ... if ds has just been sent home from nursery with chicken pox ...

[bodiddly]

what is the liklihood of us being able to go on holiday this Saturday? He had a spot on Saturday (which I thought was just a heat spot) and another yesterday ... and apparently 4 more today. We are meant to be going to Herefordshire for a week on Saturday with my elderly parents - are we best to cancel rather than run the risk of infecting them and generally being still in quarantine? Also, is he likely to start feeling poorly now that the spots are coming out or is that yet to come (or could we by some miracle have got away with him being whingey but not feverish)? He was grumpy and not himself on Friday and Saturday but not ill as such. I have sent dp to the chemist for calamine lotion which a friend advised we don't use until all the spots are out as she thinks it delays them ... that can't be right though surely?

[5inthebed]

He isn't contagious once all the spots have scabbed over. He'll probably feel poorly in the next few days and be quite grumpy. Lots of TLC, calpol and ice lollies.

I wouldn't cancel just yet.

[SoupDragon]

have your parents had chicken pox?

[WhereTheWildThingsWere]

Calamine will not delay the spots, calamine in aqueous cream is nicer to put on and seems to soothe the itching more, or so ds 5 tells me!

Both of mine have just had the pox so I feel like I have been in quarantine forever, they are infectious until the last spot has crusted over, they say 5-7 days after the first spot appearing but in ds it was 7 days and dd 10.

Your parents are only at risk if they havent had it already, it is very unusual though not unheard of to have cp twice, you cannot catch shingles from someone who has cp.

So you may have to keep him in quarantine for a couple of days at the beginning of your holiday or he might be all crusty by then and you will be fine. I wouldn't cancel.

Some children are iller than other ds, was quite poorly, dd very, I think it just varies from child to chilld, apparently it is often worse if you catch it from a sibling as happened with mine.

[flier]

snap! dd got her first spot on Saturday and we are supposed to be away for a long weekend this Friday
They say that a warm bath brings the spots out quicker, but I am loathe to do this with dd as she is still running a bit of a high temp.

[bodiddly]

but how do you know whether he is only going to have a few spots or whether there are hoards of them to come - I am being a control freak and want to know when I can start counting my 5 days!! Nursery say 5 days from when the spots scab over ... grrrrr

my mum has had it years ago .. and shingles a couple of weeks ago (she has M.E. so a very weak immune system) and my step dad has very advanced alzheimers so trying to find out whether he has had it is nigh on impossible!

[WhereTheWildThingsWere]

Ah, ds probably got cp from your mum then (if they had been in contact obv.) as you can get cp from shingles, just not the other way around.

Spots normally keep apearing for 3-5 days, and you start counting from the first spot, not the last, so 7ish days from the first spot is next Saturday.

[bodiddly]

so if the first spot was on Saturday then they may all have made their appearance by tomorrow ... and then we have to wait for them to crust over .... and 5 days after that he can go back to nursery? Is that correct? Come on spots appear and get crusty .. I want a holiday!

[theDreadPirateRoberts]

Just sent DS back to school - he had his first spot sometime in the night Friday-sat last week, and by this weekend he was just scabby and a bit tired.

o Piriton controls the itching quite well - check with the pharmacist re age?
o Eurax lotion or cream is marvellous
o Warm to cool baths with handfuls of soda bicarb (Boots do it in 500g packs) is also good - was doing morning and night

The Health Protection Agency says not infectious once all spots crusted over - usually 5-6 days after onset - here

[bodiddly]

thanks everyone ... ds doesn't seem too perturbed at the moment but he has been in the paddling pool so that must have helped keep things cool! He has a few on his back and his groin ... probably 20 or so in total.

[bodiddly]

I spoke too soon .. the second I posted that he started trying to scratch the ones on his shoulders ....

[IkeaHighchair]

It is 5 days from teh appearance of the first spot according to the HPA. And as far as exclusion is concerned from childcare/schools they say to keep them off for 5 days (and no mentiono of scabs)

The spots have nothing to do with transmission. It is (primarily) transmitted by coughs.

[theDreadPirateRoberts]

Ikea - have HPA changed their advice then? Cos the link I posted doesn't give the 5 days advice (had to look it all up last week for DS)

[bodiddly]

the little blighter really wasn't impressed by me applying the calamine lotion .. or the piriton. Tomorrow will no doubt be worse in the whinge-stakes!

[Wallace]

Ikea is correct - 5 days from the appearance of the first spot they can go back to school etc

[CarGirl]

Take heart they are usually illest before the spots appear. Not very fair that he has it in such hot weather though.

The whole week in the paddling pool?

I had a lovely picnic at School yesterday, and afternoon tea!

[JudyBlume1019]

I looked it up when dds had it and found gov recommendations to be 5 days from first spot, but now can only find the hpa guidelines of once crusted over.

[lou031205]

www.bbc.co.uk/health/ask_the_doctor/pregnancychickenpox.shtml

"In theory a person continues to be infectious until the blister-like spots (which ooze large amounts of the virus) crust over, although transmission of the infection has never been reported after the fifth day of the rash."

[bodiddly]

hi car girl ... I think thats the problem .. its all hot and sweaty and he is getting the spots in his creases - poor love! The paddling pool it is then! Picnic and tea sounds civilised ... did you get to watch a dull cricket match as well? - parents day by any chance?

[CarGirl]

No cricket match! we had picnic outside the house then went off to big side where my dc played football & made daisy chains and I recovered on the blanket. There was some open air theatre to watch but my little ones wouldn't have been interested!

Has he got spots on his legs yet, they tend to work down their bodies so once he has them on his legs there shouldn't be many more to come.

[bodiddly]

sounds like you had a good time cargirl ... nope none on the legs .. first one was on his groin .. then his neck (both really nasty ones) then others on his shoulders and groin .. plus one on a hand ... but who knows by morning!

[IkeaHighchair]

I think that this is the HPA guidance on qurantine - but I can't get it to open to be sure.

Chicken pox can be transmitted 2 ways.

By far the most significant is respiratory transmission (coughing and sneezing). You only get respiratory transmission pre spots and for 5 days afterwards.

The pox themselves do also shed virus particles I believe - but they are very weakly virulent because the person you need to infect needs to take the virus in through a mucous membrance (which can be via kissing or inhaling droplets - but droplets aren't produced from the pox) or through a break in the skin. So the general public are not at risk after 5 days. You would only be at risk post 5 days if you were to lick someones shedding pox - or get direct contact with broken skin - which can be avoided. Direct transission really isn't a major route - and is easily avoided.

[CarGirl]

How are the spots today?

[bodiddly]

still coming out Cargirl! More today ... especially around his waistband etc where he has been getting hot and sweaty in this weather. They are coming out in force on his face now - I was hoping we had got away without any there! I can't believe they are still making an appearance after 4 days!

How are you all?

[CarGirl]

WE're okay, school out on Saturday but scout camp starts Monday for 10 days! The others are fine, school induction afternoon today

Perhaps he will get the last of his spots tomorrow? The legs/feet are usually last!