to object to Chicken Pox quarantine advice?

[SummerMonths]

I understand CP can be nasty but I don't see any point in the quarantine advice. The virus is infectious for two days before the spots appear and obviously nobody knows it's coming so the virus is spread. Then the spots arrive and you have five days of house bound hell despite the fact you have already exposed people for days before.

And if the NHS were really concerned about stopping CP spreading they would vaccinate, but they don't. In fact they rely on kids getting CP young as it's more serious when old.

So can anyone explain the point of quarantine given you will already have exposed others to the virus? Isn't it rather a case of shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted?

[Jibberjabberjooo]

You can't catch shingles!

(Can't remember who said they'd caught it up thread). Shingles is the reactivation of the dormant chicken pox virus in your body. You can catch cp from shingles though.

[Tanith]

A child I used to mind caught shingles while undergoing treatment for leukaemia. She'd already had chickenpox a few years before, then came into contact with it while being treated.
It blinded her .

[Jibberjabberjooo]

You can't shingles, again.

[Undertheboredwalk]

No she didn't Tanith, it's medically impossible. It is extremely likely that undergoing treatment that compromised her immune system caused the dormant cp virus in her system to reactivate and cause shingles. Has got nothing to do with being exposed to anything.

I really wish people would learn this, it causes so much unnecessary confusion and blaming.

[JenEric]

In 2 days you may unknowingly infect say 4 people how is it better to then infect a further 10 over the next 5 days? It can be a serious illness.

Anyone with chicken pox would usually be ill enough that they needed to be inside anyway but say they aren't for a minute.

Say for a minute that An immo compromised child is in your kids class. Should they miss school for 5 days because you are too selfish to keep your kids at home? What if all 29 parents did this?

[Jibberjabberjooo]

Every thread about chicken pox has someone on it claiming they caught shingles.

YOU CANNOT CATCH SHINGLES!!

Sorry for shouting.....

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

I think you are right about not being able to catch shingles, Undertheboredwalk - but Tanith's mindee must have caught the chicken pox from someone else, for it to have been in her system, dormant, to emerge when she was having the leukaemia treatment - so it was caused, albeit a time later, by her being exposed to someone with CP - maybe avoidably.

[tobysmum77]

The point in relation to shingles isn't catching it though, of course you can't catch shingles.

The argument is being in contact with cp actually prevents older people from getting shingles. But that is weighed up against a few little children ending up in hospital and others being seriously ill/ dying.

[Undertheboredwalk]

That's true SDT, although I'd guess at the earlier time of her catching cp she wasn't ill. It's impossible to know what's in the future for any of us and it is undoubtedly healthier as a population for the children to catch cp and create their own immunity. The only way to avoid exact circs like those of the girl mentioned would be to vaccinate all children but as has been said that causes more problems across society than it solves.
It's a really sad and unfortunate story, but I think not anybody's fault. In any case most people do follow the quarantine guidelines when their dc have cp and most children catch it from others who are contagious before the spots appear.

[Xmasbaby11]

It's important to protect vulnerable people. I was pregnant and hadn't had chicken pox - it could have been dangerous if I'd caught it.

[Tanith]

I cross posted before the info about not catching shingles was posted. There's really no need for the aggression: I posted what I knew.

A seriously ill child had an unnecessary and distressing complication arising from the chickenpox virus. Surely people can appreciate and empathise without resorting to aggression and shouting to make their point, even if this is AIBU?

[NewLife4Me]

We never used to quarantine kids, we just went to school unless we felt poorly.
I know it could be hard for those with immune problems, but did people not have these 40 years ago?
We have turned into a load of namby pambies over the years.

[Jibberjabberjooo]

I'm sorry if you thought I was shouting at you Tanith, I wasn't aiming at you in particular. There have been several people on this thread who claim to have 'caught' shingles or know someone who has. This happens with every chicken pox thread, every time. And I guess I get tired repeating it again and again as it feels like no one listens. And as a nurse myself I like the truth and stop myths spreading.

Your story is very sad, and just highlights the complications from chicken pox which not everyone realises. I've nursed
children with infected chicken pox, it's awful. Some have even gone to intensive care with it. It's not something to treat lightly. There are all sorts of people who if they catch it can be seriously ill.

[MrsJayy]

Of course they quarintined 40yrs ago don't be ridiculous it was the 70s not the middle ages fgs I was off school.with cp 38 years ago

[Tanith]

Not really, Newlife. Years ago, people with immune problems simply died. I remember those days, too, and I think you have forgotten about the quarantines. They've been around for a very long time.

[MrsJayy]

Oh I might have said I caught shingles didn't mean to say caught

[Tanith]

It's OK Jibber, just still very raw
I appreciate it's frustrating to have to repeat yourself again and again.

[MrsJayy]

Go.back 50\60 yrs and kids were in infectious diseases wards with measles etc

[Jibberjabberjooo]

Yes NewLife, they died.

[CakeFail]

That makes sense arf. There's definitely seems to be some pressure to get DC back to school ASAP after being ill. Parents have to spend more time at work / commuting these days and schools seem to be all over sickness / attendance records in a way they never were even when I was at school in the 80s & 90s.

[CoteDAzur]

"In fairness, Cote - it is an awful lot harder to quarantine one child from the others than it is to decide not to send your child with chicken pox to nursery"

When one is a baby? Not that hard at all. Baby stays in the room when older (sick) kid is running about.

The point was that Dawn's older child probably infected the baby when he wasn't symptomatic - i.e. when Dawn didn't know he had CP. Similarly, the very likely caught it from children at nursery whose parents didn't deliberately send knowing they they had CP.

[MsJamieFraser]

you cannot catch shingles, so whoever said that is incorrect.

you can get CP more than once, and even if you vaccine, you can still get CP.

not everyone can get the vaccine either, ds2 cant as he has a compromised immune system.

The NHS also cannot just pay out money for every possible illness, if you want your child vaccinated then you need to pay for it.

[CoteDAzur]

"ou can get CP more than once"

You can't get CP more than once if your immune system worked properly the first time. It is a disease like measles and rubella to which you are supposed to form lifelong immunity.

"even if you vaccine, you can still get CP."

True. Vaccine immunity doesn't always take and it wanes.

[BishopBrennansArse]

I have rheumatoid arthritis and will be immunocompromised for the rest of my life because of the drugs I have to take.

The kind of blasé attitude in the OP could very well kill me. Yes I've had chicken pox before - doesn't matter. Chicken pox is one of the big ones you're warned about when you're on these kinds of meds.