Going to the shop with Chicken Pox?

[DesTeeny]

DD4 may have chicken pox, I don't know for certain because apart from the spots, she is absolutely fine, no rash, no upset, nothing. I can't tell if it's chicken pox or a viral rash, as she had a stomach virus last week (thank you so much primary school, she's never been ill so often).

I've kept her off school just in case but I need to go to the pharmacy, and a shop. Is she OK to come with me if we go when it's quiet and keep her away from other people? And thoughts on going for a walk/ feed the ducks /outdoor play area if there aren't any other kids?

AIBU to take her out?

No, you phone up as many of us have advised. There are alternative solutions which you have been advised of, but you are choosing to ignore them, so yes, you are being selfish as you are putting your needs first when there are other options.

She was more infectious the 2 days before her spots appeared. Take her to the chemist if you need to but i am not sure why you think she needs to go there. Calpol if needed and cool baths with 2 heaped tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda in the water 3 times a day, use a sponge to squeeze the water over the pox, don't touch the pox with the sponge.

Haven't actually gone anywhere, haven't actually done anything, not ignored anyone, asking other people what they'd do and talking it through.

Not selfish, you're being rude. Thanks though.

She's not bothered at all, this is why I'm confused by it. She's going to go stir crazy in the house, she's currently going wild running up and down the corridor. She isn't itchy, doesn't feel poorly, isn't tired, nothing. Thats why I want to take her down to the canal and feed the ducks or to an empty park or something.

I was going to say this. Call the pharmacy, tell them what’s happening and ask them to deliver.

Do you want to share a pic of your child’s spots so we can give an opinion? (Obviously not medically trained, but a lot of mums & grandmas who will have seen chicken pox a hundred times over.)

For anything else you need, go for Tesco Woosh or Sainsbury’s Chop Chop. I’d suggest some calamine cream (imo better and less messy than the lotion) for the spots.

Do you know if she’s been in contact with any confirmed cases?

It’s so inconvenient, I know, but CP is really harmful to some and v v contagious.

If you’re unsure what to do I suggest you phone the pharmacy and get advice on all these questions from a pharmacist. Do what they advise.

I didn’t know anyone who had chickenpox when I got it as an adult. I probably picked it up in the pharmacy or local shop from a child who was taken out by their ignorant parent.

I was in my late 20s, very fit and well and I was very ill and then floored for a long time afterwards. Not a few days, but weeks and months.

You have said that you are going to the pharmacy and will wait until it is empty. It will never be empty as there are staff in there.

Jesus no you can’t take her out.

you don’t need a pharmacist to tell you she has chickenpox ffs

do an Amazon fresh delivery for food I did that when I had Covid and we were still meant to stay home

Can you post a photo of the rash/spots?

I’ve just been through chicken pox with my child. They were the same, you’d never have known anything was wrong. It was a tough 10 days or so in the house when they were clinically fine.

Well yes because if you're immune compressed for any reason you don't want to catch it as it can be serious/fatal. We can't just stay indoors for ever in case we come across yourselves.

If she was ill recently then it could be a post viral rash rather than chickenpox. In the absence of raised spots that are fluid filled I'd say probably not chickenpox

Happy to! I just want someone other than me to look at her (preferably medical but happy for other grans and mums).

It's just little bumps, they almost look like insect bites? but where she'd have gotten them I don't know. This is her tummy (cropped for obvious reasons) where the most spots are. She has a few on one leg and one on her lip, that's it.

Surely anyone that anxious cleans their child's hands after use, and deals with the (tiniest) risk that way.

Chicken pox rash and a viral rash are completely different. CP is fluid filled blisters, once they get one more usually appear quite rapidly.

Yes but I could have then asked someone to have a look and they could decide for themselves whether they wanted to get close to her if they'd had it before or not...!

I agree with this. I've had to take mine to pharmacy, just kept distance but what can you do.

For all anyone here knows the child doesnt even have chicken pox lots of things cause a viral rash! Chicken pox is fluid filled blisters and usually other symptoms as well.
Look at you all. A bunch of grown women having a go unnecessarily at a woman asking for advice! What if shes a single mum with ZERO support and she needs essentials for her and her children! Pharmacy's usually have several contagious illnesses passing through them on an hourly basis why is it ok for those illnesses but not a child who MIGHT have chicken pox?
Its alright for people to go around spreading cold/flu etc because let's face it your jobs arent going to allow you time off for the sniffles or even covid anymore and your going into work passing your germs around to others who may or may not have immunosuppressed/vulnerable family members but you dont think twice about that do you?

op If you have to go to the pharmacy then go, you need your medication and yes you can go to the shop just make sure she doesnt touch anything. Go feed the ducks, go for a walk, fresh air helps alot of illnesses, maybe not the play park though.

Oh and this is coming from someone with contamination OCD

Haven’t RTFT (and I agree that you shouldn’t take her into the pharmacy) but it does sound more like a post-viral rash to me. You mentioned that as a possibility in your first post, which suggests she’s had this before? IME with DS, if you get them once you’ll get them again. If it’s more ‘rashy’ than ‘spotty’ then that’s most likely what it is. No real treatment either, apart from cream if it’s itchy.

if you phoned them in the first instance you would be sorted. Once you have taken your child in it’s too late as CP is highly contagious. Are you not able to use the phone?

I think if OP phones they'll tell her to take her in...

A walk outdoors when it’s quiet should be fine but not a shop, and not the playground.

Maybe you could call the pharmacy and ask if they can look at her and what time is best to come- then you won’t be hanging around? Going to a pharmacy isn’t any different from going to a GP surgery really, unless we’re talking one in a supermarket or big Boots.

The rash really doesn’t look like chicken pox though, the blisters come up quite quickly too so if she’s had it a couple of days I doubt that’s what it is.

IMO that does look chicken poxy. When did she come out in the spots? When both mine had it, both woke up with spots and by the end of the day they had little white pin prick blisters on. They usually start of stomach and trunk, come in batches (so you might find a new cluster of spots later/tomorrow morning), and will crust over in a few days. So for example, these ones might blister later, then you might find some new spots elsewhere (they can appear anywhere on the body - my youngest had one on the edge of his nostril!), then they’ll blister etc etc.

You can’t go out until all the clusters of spots have crusted over. She will have been contagious for a few days before spots appeared, and until all are crusted. Generally an incubation period of 14 days, so expect the baby to come down with it in a couple of weeks.

I’ve never had chicken pox, but an immune so might be the case for you too, if not you might get it and it’s generally worse in adults. Might be good to stock up and prepare for that happening.

It really is a pain in the arse, I know, but you really should stay in. If you’re worried, give the drs a call and send the pic, but unless your daughter has other health issues and is otherwise well, I wouldn’t bother. Not all kids get poorly with it, and it did make me laugh that she’s climbing the walls already. Buckle in, you’re in for a fun and itchy few days!

Edited to add: if it doesn’t follow the normal course for chicken pox - then it could be a viral rash. You’ll know by later if those spots develop little blisters in.

This also isn't true. You can only get it where I'm from if you're over 50. I had shingles at 38 and chicken pox (for a second time) at 39 and I have never felt so unwell. This puts me at a higher risk for having shingles again but they still won't let me get the shingles jab even if I pay for it - firm rule for over 50s only and I'm 45.

there are lots of possible reasons for a rash - and this doesn't look like it's definitely chickenpox at all.
It coul be something like scabies - which nobody's even mentioned yet, but might have been picked up at school.

OP I don't understand why you're getting so many rude responses on here and people accusing you of being selfish, when all you've one is ask for advice!

It's fine to walk (or drive) to the pharmacy, and for your dc to stand outside! You could ask the staff to bring your prescription out to you, and also ask if the pharmacist could please pop out to look at the rash, to see if they can identify it.

Even more laughable is the poster who went off on one about the selfishness of parents who hadn't had their children vaccinated vs chickenpox. Even though this is NOT available to everyone on the NHS, and many parents presumably can't afford to have it done privately.
www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/chickenpox-vaccine/