Chicken pox and 5-days-off-nursery/school guideline

[Shelduck]

Chicken pox is infectious until all the spots have crusted over, and the general advice is to stay at home until this happens. However, according to NHS Choices, Public Health England recommends that children stay off school or nursery for five days, which seems to be at the shorter end of the usual time it takes for the spots to crust over.

Note, it doesn't say "at least five days" or "until the spots crust over which is usually about five days" - just "five days". (This is the policy of DS's nursery.)

Does anyone know why this is? Not that I'm quibbling! Just curious.

Because it normally takes about 5 days? My policy is until all spots have crusted over though.

I kept my dd home until she was properly crusted, her re school told me about the five day rule but dd got chickenpox horribly, it took more like 7-10 days for all her spots to scab and she ended up on antibiotics for a secondary infection. She was quite poorly for the first 4-5days, temp, and spots in her mouth, eyes, on her privates etc she was really uncomfortable poor thing. Luckily despite some massive unsightly sits none have scarred.

She had it much worse than my boys who were fine within a week.

Bump - in case anyone else can shed any more light. Any teachers or nursery officers reading?