To take child out with chickenpox

[10thlittlemonkey]

DD age 3 had chickenpox. Today is day 7 since they first appeared. She's loved the multiple pyjamas days but we are starting to go stir crazy! She had new spots appear yesterday overnight and I'm not sure any of us can handle another 5 days cooped up indoors. Other than spots she's here usual self (ball of energy!) I was thinking to go out for a walk along the river. Maybe grab a quick take away coffee and cake and perch somewhere outdoors. Thinking 'covid social distancing' style rules would apply here for our own sanity surely?
AIBU?

They can’t get those vaccines

It’s the dumb mention of takeout coffee and cake that’s riled people. Being outside nowhere near anyone else and not touching anything like play equipment seems virtually zero risk. But why on earth would anyone think going into a cafe or shop is acceptable - or even necessary when you can pack a snack to take with you.

Not generally recommended for severely immunocompromised patients

I do think going out for a walk away from anyone is fine, but take your own food/drinks.
You are being very unreasonable about immunocompromised children, if you think they should just stay in all the time what is the harm in your child staying in until they are no longer infectious?

there are likely to be many contagious people walking around every day with multiple unknown infections

UNKNOWN being the operative word there.
People walking around knowingly with a contagious disease and not giving a shit or thinking " ah well, I'll risk it anyway" is next level and selfish twat behaviour.

You can't be vaccinated until you are 6 months out from finishing cancer treatment or 1 year after a stem cell transplant so no, it isn't that simple.

The chicken pox vaccine isn't safe for immunocompromised people as it's a live vaccine.

Vaccines generally are often less effective among immunocompromised people.

I do not understand why people who choose not to vaccinate their children are surprise they will then have to look after sick children until they are better.

I couldn't afford the time off work so had my kids vaccinated...

Yes the chickenpox vaccine is widely available and not too expensive (it will be made free soon...)

Walking outside is fine taking your child to the supermarket or a coffee shop is not

Awful as it may be for him, I would guess he’s not going to places where other people are going to be in close proximity.
Someone with chicken pox is infectious before the spots appear. If I were the OP, I would wrap my child up, hat, scarf, gloves, drive to a local open woodland and let them have a good walk. I’ve just got back from a 3 mile walk in my local woods - didn’t see a single soul.

Maybe you should have done that.

The vaccine isn’t generally suitable for immunocompromised people anyway.

I do not see an issue with the a walk along the river, some woodland etc.

but the coffee? Perching on… what? A bank? Any other place meant for people to perch on? You really shouldn’t…

Potentially using play equipment (yes, that wasn’t in the OP. But places to perch with coffee aren’t far removed from play equipment IME) would be a massive no from me, btw.

I must admit I assumed OP was taking about a drive through but others have assumed she meant going in a cafe. There's plenty of ways to get takeaway food without being in contact with people. OP I would go out for a drink, walk picnic or drive through. Wrap up obviously. I once had a picnic in the snow, was lovely.

Completely missed the point of not knowing who is vulnerable.
Do you know if I’ve had them? No.
Does the OP know if everyone around her is immune? No.
The point was, the OP wanted to pop into a coffee shop with her infectious child, who she knows is still infectious, without knowing who around her is vulnerable.

I took my DD1 out for walks when she had chickenpox - the fresh air did her good.
I did take her to a cafe, but only after all the spots had crusted - so no longer infectious.
I'd echo not taking her into cafes etc, or letting her get too near others. chicken pox I always thought was pretty standard and not too serious - that is until my DD2 was hospitalised with sepsis from it, aged 3. (She's fine now but it was very scary at the time!)

Thankyou. I was actually thinking about the coffee kiosk stand at the start of the country park. I should have added context but again as it is entirely plausible for her to be 2metres+ away away from me whilst I grab these as I mentioned about distancing from others I thought my intention was clear.

After chemo, it can take about 6 months for your immune system to recover. A child who has already been cooped up in hospital for months does need to start having a bit of 'normal' again so is unlikely going to be kept away from the public for 6 months.

Unknowingly catching something like a cold is a risk but someone knowingly going out and risking spreading something like chicken pox is entirely different.

Are you expecting there to magically be no other people at the stand though and only you there?
What about the person having to serve you your coffee?

Take her out, wrap her up and keep away from everyone.
I had to take my youngest DC out during chickenpox as older DC's had to go to school etc.

The OP didn’t specify drive thru cake and coffee - i expect if there was somewhere local to her where she could pick up cake and coffee without being near anyone then she’d have clarified that. (Perhaps she’ll drip feed it now you’ve put the idea in her head!)

but frankly just mentioning getting take out was a dumb idea. Aside from anything else, it’s so easy to take a drink and snack from home. And often much nicer, because if you’re relying on a totally automated drive thru for cake then you’re probably going to get something shite.

They will be on aciclovir prophylaxis during and post chemo

Yes I took for granted you meant something like this but of course people want to pile on and paint you as some sort of mass murderer

A kiosk will still have someone serving them though, and maybe a queue?

I thought it was clear as you mentioned distancing and takeaway that it was an outdoor coffee stand type place and not going in anywhere. Staying outdoors and at a distance from the queue while you order sounds fine.

On a day like today it's unlikely to be a queue. The miniscule contact she would have with a drive through server or kiosk server is negligible