Parents have been alerted to the likelihood of chickenpox outbreaks after the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions sees children and families mixing more. Chickenpox is a common childhood illness, but people of all ages can get it as singer George Ezra found out last month.
The contagious illness is not usually serious, but causes an itchy and spotty rash. Recent cases in nurseries have been reported in Lancashire, with the pandemic blamed for the rise in cases.
Most parents will have experienced their children catching chickenpox as it spreads in waves at nurseries and schools. But during the peak of the lockdown, fewer children were mixing in educational or care settings.
It's easy to catch chickenpox, the NHS says. You can catch chickenpox by being in the same room with someone, it can also spread by touching things that have fluid from the blisters on them.
You can spread chickenpox to other people from two days before your spots appear until they have all formed scabs – usually five days after your spots appeared.
And you get symptoms after catching chickenpox about one to three weeks after you caught it, when the spots start appearing.
A spokesman for Blackpool Council told the Lancashire Post that outbreaks were increasing across the country, saying: “One of the consequences of the lessening of restrictions around Covid19 is that we are all now mixing more, and common infectious diseases such as chickenpox are spreading again in the community.
"In Blackpool, as in the rest of the country we are seeing an increase in cases with outbreaks reported in some childhood settings. As it is not a notifiable disease, we don’t have exact figures, however cases are increasing. It is common in children, but can also occur in adults.”
George Ezra told fans he is “gutted” at having to cancel a string of live dates after falling ill with chickenpox in February. The Shotgun singer shared a video on Twitter in which he showed fans the spotty rash that had spread across his face, shoulders and upper chest.
The 28-year-old was due to perform at the London Palladium, Manchester Opera House and Edinburgh Usher Hall but the shows will now take place in April. Ezra is returning to the road for the first time since 2019 due to pandemic cancellations.
Below, we look at what you need to know about chickenpox, the symptoms, and how to treat it. Information from the NHS.
The three stages of chickenpox
An itchy, spotty rash is the main symptom of chickenpox. It can be anywhere on the body and happens in three stages:
Stage 1 : small spots appear
- The spots can be anywhere on the body, including inside the mouth and around the genitals, which can be painful
- spread or stay in a small area
- be red, pink, darker or the same colour as surrounding skin, depending on your skin tone
- be harder to see on brown and black skin
Stage 2: the spots become blisters
The spots fill with fluid and become blisters. The blisters are very itchy and may burst.
Stage 3 : the blisters become scabs
The spots form a scab. Some scabs are flaky while others leak fluid.
The NHS also says before the rash appears, you may have a high temperature, aches and pain, a sense of generally feeling unwell, and a loss of appetite. Chickenpox is very itchy and can make children feel miserable, even if they do not have many spots.
The chickenpox spots look the same on children and adults, but adults usually have a high temperature for longer and more spots than children. It is possible to catch it twice, but this is unusual.
How to treat chickenpox at home
The key thing is that you need to stay off school, nursery or work until all spots have scabbed over. This usually happens five days after the spots have appeared.
The do's
- drink plenty of fluid (try ice lollies if your child is not drinking) to avoid dehydration
- take paracetamol to help with pain and discomfort
- cut your child's fingernails and put socks on their hands at night to stop them scratching
- use cooling creams or gels from a pharmacy
- speak to a pharmacist about using antihistamine medicine to help itching
- bathe in cool water and pat the skin dry (do not rub)
- dress in loose clothes
And the don'ts
- do not use ibuprofen unless advised to do so by a doctor, as it may cause serious skin infections
- do not give aspirin to children under 16
- do not go near newborn babies, people who are pregnant and people with a weakened immune system, as chickenpox can be dangerous for them
- do not scratch the spots, as scratching can cause scarring
You should speak to your GP if you're not sure if it is chickenpox or you are concerned about your child.
Chickenpox in pregnancy
Most people get chickenpox during childhood, so it's rare to get chickenpox when you're pregnant. If you do get chickenpox when you're pregnant, there's a small risk of your baby being very ill when it's born.
Go to 111.nhs.uk or call 111 if you have not had chickenpox before and you've been near someone with it.
Shingles and chickenpox
You cannot catch shingles from someone with chickenpox.
You can catch chickenpox from someone with shingles if you have not had chickenpox before.
When you get chickenpox, the virus stays in your body. The virus can be triggered again if your immune system is weak. This causes shingles.
This can happen because of stress, certain conditions, or treatments like chemotherapy.
