Another chicken pox question - what's the "etiquette"??

[ScarlettCrossbones]

DS1 (5) started getting spots yesterday, and more today ... DD and DS2 are showing no signs yet, but I'd be surprised if they're let off the hook! Is it a total no-no to take the three of them out anywhere at all, more or less? I was kind of needing to go to the post office tomorrow, and possibly Boots (that would be to stock up on Piriton etc for the DC, just in case) but am worried about whooshing past non-immune pg women in the street and infecting them ... would you nip out for 15 mins with them, or are we all more or less quarantined until the last DC shows signs (and how long do I wait???!).

Thanks!!

I battened down the hatches and got other people to do stuff for me. I spent a month indoors, as by the time 2 of the kids were at the end, the other two started. I was nearly insane.

i don't see how you can keep everyone quarantined, i certainly wouldn't be able to, and i think it would be unrealistic for most people.

You cannot get CP by just walking past someone in the street, it takes a little more than that. Having said that, it's not just pregnant women you have to be aware of, but anyone with a low immune system due to a serious illness, etc. Cannot you leave the DC at home with someone to watch over them for half an hour?

isn't it most infectious in the week before the spots appear though, so it's not necessarily going to make a big difference keeping them at home? i mean, if they're oozing, obviously i wouldn't suggest they go and rub up against strangers in the PO queue...

You cant take out DS1, as he could infect others. You need to wait until the last spot has crusted over.

I pretty much stayed inside for a month and nearly tore my own ears off with boredom. DTD2 got it first, so I assumed that DTD1 would get it soon after. DTD2's spots crusted over, but I still couldn't bring myself to go to toddler group etc in case I infected people (and obviously there were PG women there as well as tiny babies) DTD1 came out in spots on the 20th day after DTD2's appeared - so nearly at the end of the generally accepted incubation period. It nearly drove me to distraction, but I am very glad I did it. DTD2 caught it from a friend's daughter, and the friend knew that it was brewing (her DD had been in contact with a number of children who had it) and I was cross that she hadn't told me, so didn't feel I could do the same.

I just got DH to do things like nip to the chemist, and asked friends to help out where necessary.

Thanks for all these - guess the consensus is we stay at home then ... concocting strategies for avoiding cabin fever as we speak ...