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?

[NewLife4Me]

They didn't die though, not as much as people suggest as they were kept in quarantine themselves.
A boy at my school was given time off when chicken pox was going around because he had Leukemia. The poor boy did die in the end but it wasn't through catching a virus, it was the disease.
It was so awful, we were good friends, but little treatment was available and his poor parents went through hell, his Dad was a doctor and spoke about how helpless he felt.

I agree with the OP, not that we shouldn't protect the vulnerable, but we can't.
As for quarantine, nobody was guaranteed at my school and even 20 years ago my ds was being invited to cp parties. Far better to get it when little than when older.

[MsJamieFraser]

CoteDAzur, agree however If I find the re-search I could give figures, but I think it was 1 in 8 who has had CP, have went on to get it again or more.

I've never had CP, both ds's have had CP, both went onto get it twice and ds2 has had shingles 4 times, he's 6

ds1 has been vaccinated, but still got it 7 months after the vaccination, but that was 2 years ago... so fingers crossed his immunity has been kicked in now.

[MsJamieFraser]

NewLife, your post is just idiotic.. "It didn't happen in my day" comments are just so selfish and well... idiotic comments!

[MsJamieFraser]

FYI also, FIL sister, also had leukemia, died from CP encephalitis. Thats what on her death certificate, she was 2 years of age.

[CoteDAzur]

"1 in 8 who has had CP, have went on to get it again or more."

Not true. I'm from an era when there was no CP vaccines and everybody got the disease as a child. Out of everyone in my family, all my friends, their relatives, friends, and basically everyone I know, nobody got CP twice.

"both ds's have had CP, both went onto get it twice... ds1 has been vaccinated, but still got it 7 months after the vaccination... and ds2 has had shingles 4 times, he's 6"

There seems to be an immune system issue in your family. What does your doctor say? Surely you must know that it is not normal for two siblings to have had CP twice each and a 6-yr-old to have had shingles four times.

I have had measles twice, but that was because I was just a few months old the first time and my immune system was not mature enough to have formed lifelong immunity. It is not normal to have measles twice, either.

[NewLife4Me]

MsJamie

Idiotic or not, we talk about our experiences and views on here.
It didn't happen in my day, in my experience, so shoot me.

It makes far more sense to keep the vulnerable away from cp when it can't be guaranteed they can't be protected, unless we have compulsory immunisation.

[MsJamieFraser]

ds2 has a compromised immune system from birth, and a accident when he was 11 months when he was set on fire.

ds1, class I would say a third has got CP more than once, is friend now has it for the second time, the first time he got it, was mild, this time isn't the case.

when I was doing the research for deciding if ds1 would have the vaccine, a US study believed their was a genetic link in getting CP more than once.

[MsJamieFraser]

or you keep the infected people away from those who are vulnerable and do what the NHS advises which is to keep the infected person isolated. Not rocket science really.

yes you wont know if a person is vulnerable, but you do know the person has CP.

[CoteDAzur]

MsJamie - I'm sorry about your DS2.

"ds1, class I would say a third has got CP more than once"

So you are now saying the rate of getting CP twice is at least 1/3? I'm sorry but that is just not correct. Viral diseases can look similar, and perhaps many (most?) of those children didn't have CP the first time or the second time. While it is possible to get CP a second time, that happens in cases where immune system has not done its job the first time around for whatever reason and it is very rare.

[CoteDAzur]

"or you keep the infected people away from those who are vulnerable"

The point is that CP and many other viral infections are not symptomatic for quite a while before anyone realises that infected people are infected.

[NewLife4Me]

MsJamie

But you can't. This is the OP whole point.
They are infectious before you know.
If a vulnerable person catches cp, does it matter whether it was before or after it was known, they still catch it.
That was my point about not being able to stop it unless we have compulsory immunisation.

[MsJamieFraser]

agree, just in my experience it isn't the case, I cannot comment if they were wrongly diagnosed the first time round, but I know of 11 kids who have had CP twice in ds class.

No I get that, but the OP and NewLife are objecting to isolation, and I disagree, but as a mum of a vulnerable child, I see the horrors of how childhood illness effects him.

If you dont know if a child has a contagious illness, then you can't do anything about it, but if you know and refuse follow medical advise, which means your possibly putting other peoples lives at risk, then I find it shocking selfish and disgusting actually. I find people who do this and really below the pale for me.

[BishopBrennansArse]

It matters a great deal whether you know or not.

If you don't know and I catch cp off your child and wind up in hospital it's one of those things. Nothing anyone could have done.

But if you do know and willingly expose your child to immunocompromised people for whatever reason that's just evil.

[ProudAS]

I seem to remember an article about getting CP twice - most people don't but it's not impossible.

Hand, foot and mouth can be mistaken for CP in young children.

Also, the younger a person is when infected the more likely they are to get it again. Babies under one are likely to not become immune. The majority of four year old will develop immunity.

Then of course there's immuno-suppression but I don't think the article mentioned that.

[Vanderwaals]

You're being incredibly selfish. Repeated exposure increases risk.
Chicken pox is very dangerous to some people. Such as those taking steroids.

[Dawndonnaagain]

Is that like hey ho you thought it was OK for your older child to be near your baby with Chicken Pox?
Knowing that she was born with serious disabilities, we took her brother out of nursery when we were told that children with spots were in nursery. Obviously too late. Oh, and yes, we did isolate her brother for a period, in the hopes that staying with Granny would help. It didn't.

[Vanderwaals]

And you definitely can get chicken pox more than once if you're immunocompromised! A close relative of mine did.

[CoteDAzur]

"That would require immunosupressed people to never get on a bus or a plane or go to a shopping centre. Ever. To never go to the cinema or pop out for a meal. Ever."

Have you not heard of surgical masks? Far more reliable when your life is at stake than blind faith that everyone in the cinema, restaurant, and plane is germ-free.

[Dawndonnaagain]

Have you not heard of surgical masks Children can be immunosuppressed too. Can you imagine the bullying at school? Most people try to live as normal a life as possible, it's not hard for one or two folk to make a small adjustment for those who need it.

[MiscellaneousAssortment]

"It makes far more sense to keep the vulnerable away from cp"

That's a slippery slope. I believe that social conscience and thoughtful behavior towards others - especially to people different or who find life harder in some way, well, I find altruistic behavior very important.

And once you start telling more vulnerable people that they shouldn't go out in public... Not comfortable with that. And by making it their own look out if they want to go out in public, and/ or they must not inconvenience others or hope that people behave in ways that consider others. As I said, slippery slope.

A society is judged on how it treats its most vulnerable members, not just its strongest.

(Sorry. Dull I know)

[MsJamieFraser]

masks

Ds life is hard enough as it is, he does not need to wear something that ostracize him further.

[CoteDAzur]

"I find altruistic behavior very important."

All that's great but even if you idealistically & optimistically believe that 100% of people everywhere will look out for you, people are infectious some time before they show signs of being sick. So clothes can infect while sincerely not meaning to. Therefore the rational thing to do when you are immunosuppressed is to limit public exposure and/or wear surgical masks when in contact with large groups of people.

[CoteDAzur]

clothes people can infect without meaning to.

[Dawndonnaagain]

Cote we've all accepted that there are situations where it cannot be helped, however, if you are aware, it is unfair. That's all there it too it. For the sake of others it would be kind to keep your child indoors if you are aware that they are contagious. It's not hard.