DS has scarlet fever. Anyone know much about it?

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He had severe D&V last week, finally recovered, byte now has SF. His temp has come down but he's rashy, grumpy and not sleeping/eating.

Got antibiotics for next 10days but unsure if he'll be allowed to fraternise...Im assuming not.

Can me and DH catch it? DH is due to undergo serious surgery in 2 weeks so Im really hoping not.

Im utterly ground down by all these illnesses in this house. Sorry for the self-pity.

Hi, poor you and your DS. My DD1 had it when she was 11mo (she's 4yo now). It was really scary as she had a high fever, was floppy and lethargic and had this awful red-coloured, sandpaper-textured rash all over her body.

She had antibiotics (10 day course, I think) and recovered well. One short-term problem is that it had infected her ear and a couple of months later, she developed another ear infection in the same ear and was quite poorly with that. Other than that, no health
implications.

Your DS absolutely cannot fraternise. I'm not entirely sure how long he'll be infectious for (check the NHS Choices website); I remember we stayed in whilst she was on antibiotics and for a few days afterward ... I was just so completely terrified of her catching anything else. I had no idea how she caught that, you see.

It made me very paranoid and a total germ/hygiene freak for quite a long time afterward. If you're like me, just be mindful that it could affect you in this way. I was that Mum who would grab her child and dash off if a child with a runny nose even looked at my DD.

I don't think adults can get it - it mostly affects children and the usual group of compromised adults. You may need to ensure your DS is fully recovered at the time your DH has his op as his immune system will be pretty busy already.

Hope your boy gets well soon. Good luck to your DH.

DS had this at 5. He was really ill, had lots of strong antibiotics and a check up after they had finished. All the rest of us, me DH, and DS2 then aged 3 got v bad sore throats and were ill with colds etc which were treated with a longer and stronger course than usual of antibiotic's. Can't remember which ones but we we advised that we should tell the GP that we had been in contact with Scarlett fever.

I'd check about the op. it took DS a few weeks to recover properly, if it's a minor op he should be ok, but I'd be reluctant to go for a bigger one.

Oh sorry, missed that it was your DH. In that case I'd try to keep him as far away from DS as possible. My DH was doing the majority of child care at the time it happened to us which is probably why we both got it too.

Argh, your DH having the operation I meant...