To think you don’t just get chicken pox on your bum

[LittleMG]

On Thursday I thought my 4 year is Ds had an insect bite on his upper thigh. Yesterday he had a few on his bum so I thought a gnat had really gone to town on him. Today his bum is really covered especially around the actual bum hole (sorry TMI) and a couple on inner thigh. He’s totally not bothered and absolutely himself. I took him to the pharmacist and he said chicken pox and I agree it does look like that. But after 2 days surely it wouldn’t just be all over his bum but nowhere else? Surely? Any ideas?? I won’t post a picture because, well, it’s his bum but it honestly looks like chicken pox. Just no other symptoms and only on the bum!!

Or the beach?

mine were typically covered everywhere: eyelids, inside ears, armpits, chest, back, groin (labia's and scrotums), legs and feet, top of the head to the tips of their toes.

This isn’t as obvious a decision as you might think.
Current public health policy in France is to keep kids in school/nursery even while they are contagious with chickenpox (as long as they are well enough to cope). They want all the kids exposed young. The class teacher or principal can ask you to keep your child off if someone in the class or school needs to avoid the virus for whatever reason, but baseline policy is not to isolate the infected child.
They also want adults who have previously had chicken pox to be exposed to the virus because this is supposed to help prevent recurrences as shingles.

Dd1 only had a couple on her shoulder and neck. She did get it a second time though as it was so mild.

So strange how some kids only get it mildly!

My poor son was 28mo when he got chicken pox, and there were so many on his testicles they are scarred quite badly 😞

*18mo 🤣

That's not the case in England you can get CP more than once and complications whilst rare in otherwise healthy children can be serious and for some fatal. Then you have the immuno compromised who can be killed by people going out spreading it.
My daughter had cp 3 times as a young child and shingles aged 11 so multiple exposure didn't protect her.

@endofthelinefinally but she didn’t suspect chicken pox because she didn’t think that would affect only one area of the body. Rashes can all look so similar it’s really hard to guess what it is, with young children the pharmacist is a logical place to start.

Op my Dd has just had folliculitis in her bikini area, it looked just like chicken pox but she wasn’t ill. I had no clue what it was in til I posted on here. Has your son been in a pool in swimming trunks?

My older boy had hardly any spots at all - only realised because it was going round school and he came home ill one day.

My ds only had a couple on one leg only know it was cp as niece was covered in them so yes you can just get them in one area.

We have had shingles misdiagnosed by the pharmacist twice.

Anecdotally the distinctive thing I remember about chicken pox was how it changed hour to hour. New spots popping up, existing spots blistering up and then scabbing over. We've never had HFM so I don't know how that compares, but it's completely different to bites which are much more stable.

Neither of mine got spots on their hands or feet, not a single one.
It's very commonly confused with Chickenpox too.

Hand foot and mouth more likely. Can often appear just in one area and they can get it multiple times. Mine have had it before just with the mouth ulcers.

I also think hand foot and mouth, this is exactly how my little boy’s started - lots of sore bum spots!

I had 3 spots total when I had chickenpox as a child. My mum was never sure if that really counted or not. So it’s entirely possible to only have a few isolated spots, some get it more mild than others. My DS currently has it and has woken up every day so far with more spots so more could be on the way for your DC

I know public health policy for chicken pox is different in England. And that it can cause complications. My point was that strict isolation isn’t the obvious way to deal with chicken pox cases, because if it was there would be consensus between countries health care policies, and there isn’t. It’s a balance of risks on a population level. And choosing not to isolate young children with chicken pox won’t be a stand-alone policy. It will also affect treatment and advice for people who could be vulnerable to complications or severe cases - I’m fairly sure that in France they check if you’re immune to chicken pox with a blood test as soon as you know you’re pregnant, for example.

DD had a reasonable amount of spots but not covered.
DS caught it from her and had about 12 spots.
I apparently had 2 spots, but def had it as was immune as adult (was tested for antibodies as exposed when pregnant).
DS has subsequently had shingles (as a teen).

So people with any form of infectious illness shouldn’t seek medical attention, you are aware that a pharmacy is considered a medical treatment centre like a GP surgery or hospital. Public building means things like schools, cafe’s, not places where you seek medical treatment.

Only the diseases that are potentially fatal or cause miscarriage.
The NHS website is helpful.

So you genuinely expect people not to seek medical attention?

My DDs first bout of hand foot and mouth presented like this. I thought it was nappy rash then it got much sorer and angrier but only in nappy area and thighs. Was misdiagnosed as chicken pox by first doctor but then after a few days spread to her mouth and hands and we saw another doctor who recognised what it was. I also caught it so be incredibly careful to scrub your hands after nappy changes as the virus sheds in poo so it's not hard to catch even as an adult.

No I did not say that.
In her OP the poster says she thought the rash looked like CP.
A phone call or photograph would have been a thoughtful first step in those circumstances. IF you think the rash looks like CP.
Back when I worked in GP there was a clear policy to educate and make special arrangements around suspected CP. Parents were asked not to bring the child into the building, a separate room was used and staff were advised accordingly.
We were very careful.
However, I can see that I am in the minority here and I will leave it there.