Chicken pox or viral rash?

[dodi1978]

Hi,

I posted this morning about my DS's (9 month) rash.

We have now been to the doctor, who said it was a viral rash. He also has a fever. Was advised to use E45, keep layers of and give Calpol. After a long sleep (took a while to settle him) he is now quite happily playing with just a nappy on.

However, when I called the nursery after coming back from the docs to let them know that we're not coming they said that there had been an outbreak of chicken pox in his room at nursery. So my questions:

• Would a chicken pox rash be all over his body? At the moment, it is on his back, his neck, under his armpits, in his elbows, and a few dots on his belly. Nothing on his legs or bum.
• When would the rash become blistery (and therefore more easily diagnosable as chicken pox, if this is what it is)?

I have booked a telephone consultation with the doctor who saw us this morning, but that won't be until 6pm.

Need to know what it is because with viral rash he can go back to nursery as soon as the fever is down. With chicken pox he can't go until it's crusted over....

Thanks for any thoughts!

On mine it looked like blisters straight away. Totally distinctive.

RoganJosh - thanks. Was it all over the body on yours?

Given how contagious chicken pox is he will probably get it in a few weeks anyway.... Sigh.

Sorry, didn't come back to this. The spots generally pop up gradually, in a few waves.

But by now you will have had the telephone consultation. I'm sure if it was chickenpox it would be obvious.

RoganJosh - yes, the doctor also said that it would have been obvious.
He might still get it though given that there was a case in his room and it is highly contagious, so I am looking at more days 'working' from home next week or so...