DS has Chicken Pox - can *I* go out?

[Nightfall1983]

Not a great title, I'll explain:

DS 9 months has just come down with Chicken Pox (it's 'probably' CP says the GP). Obviously I'm keeping him home until the spots scab over. I've had it before so is it ok for me to go out (once DH gets home) or do I risk passing it on to others? Should I stay away from my elderly grandma because she has had shingles before?

TIA

I was told you cannot 'carry' chicken pox. They can transfer it to uninfected people or cause shingles in previously infected persons. (Our twins had it over Christmas so was double sure due to reletives visiting).

If you have had CP before you will have developed antibodies to the virus and this means that you will not catch it again, and so you pose no risk to passing it on to others.

Shingles occurs when the person has already had CP and the virus lies dormant for many years and then something 'triggers' it to start up again and then that can result in shingles. You can catch CP from someone with shingles, but you cannot catch shingles from someone with CP. So the fact that your grandma has had shingles shows that she has had CP, and so will be immune from catching it again.

So, there is no need to stay away form your grandma or anyone else as you pose no risk to them.

Hope that helps.

Thanks both, my sleep deprived brain couldn't figure it out alone...