Could a lockdown eradicate Chicken Pox?

[Hippofrog]

If children are not mixing, no school, nursery or interaction? Does it lay dormant and then come back or could these measures get rid of it?

I don't think it will eradicate it as the virus would be dormant in those already affected and while you can't catch shingles from shingles, you can catch chicken pox from someone with shingles if you've not been exposed before

So young children currently not exposed to chicken pox could get infected by any adult that develops shingles for example

No, the virus lies dormant in anybody who has had chickenpox. A proportion of these people will later develop shingles. Anyone without immunity to chickenpox can catch it from someone with shingles.

So I think you'd have to lockdown for an incredibly long time to eradicate that virus, until everyone who has ever had chickenpox is dead. A better way to do it would be through vaccination.

If children were kept isolated long term, it might mean a higher proportion of them getting it older rather than younger, which is not good as I believe the severity of the disease increases with age. Realistically I don't expect a month or two of reduced contact will have much impact.

It would probably be easier for everyone that can to have the chicken pox vaccine than go into lock down.

Plus it would be reimported from abroad. 🤷‍♀️

I don't know about chicken pox, but if you look at the infectious diseases updates on gov.uk, mumps, measles, rubella, scarlet fever and whooping cough are all dramatically reducing.

Unsurprising, but a silver lining nonetheless I suppose. Although personally, I much prefer vaccinations over lockdown!

I hope it gets rid of nits

until everyone who has ever had chickenpox is dead.

That's a cheery thought. 100year lock down.

CP tends to come in surges, so there might not be as many in this summer surge as the snotty nose spreaders are all at home.