It is believed that chickenpox is an innocent childhood disease, which is better to get sick in childhood, and if possible, arrange a so-called chickenpox party, inviting all those who have not encountered this infection to it. But the “safety” of chickenpox is exaggerated – it is a serious infection, from which, if possible, it is worth protecting yourself. Together with our expert, we analyze the most popular misconceptions about chickenpox.
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The causative agent of chickenpox Varicella zoster virus, or herpes virus type 3. The disease got its name because of the very high contagiousness: the infection quickly spreads by airborne droplets, that is, through the air. A person without immunity to chickenpox, being close to someone who is already sick, runs the risk of getting sick in 80-90% of cases.
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Transmission of the virus occurs with droplets of liquid released when talking, sneezing and coughing, as well as through direct contact with rashes on the patient’s body.
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“Chickenpox is not dangerous at all”
Chickenpox is slightly less contagious than measles, which is called the most contagious disease in the world. A person becomes contagious as early as two days before a rash appears on the skin and in general before he feels unwell. Even without knowing about the disease, it can infect a large number of people – these can be children in the classroom, kindergarten or playground, residents of the entrance, and even bystanders.
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The most common symptoms of chickenpox are the appearance of a rash and associated itching, fever, flu-like symptoms – weakness, aches.
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But the manifestations of the disease are not limited to this: combing itchy vesicles often leads to the addition of a bacterial infection and the development of inflammation of the skin and soft tissues – this complication in children is more common than others.
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By the way, rashes can appear not only on the skin, but also on the mucous membranes and even on the internal organs. Therefore, sometimes with chickenpox, pain in the abdomen is possible.
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The virus after the transferred chickenpox remains in the body in a latent (sleeping) state. Cases of recurrent chickenpox are quite rare, although they are known to the medical community – they are usually observed in patients with immunodeficiency.
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Much more often, reactivation (re-awakening) of the virus leads to the development of herpes zoster, in which a painful rash appears on the body of patients in the form of itchy blisters. Even after the rash disappears, severe pain can remain, causing a lot of suffering.
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All this suggests that chickenpox is not as harmless as it might seem.
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“Chickenpox is a childhood disease”
Contrary to popular belief, not only children, but also adults get sick with chickenpox. They account for every tenth case of the disease.
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Adults suffer the disease more severely than children: complications, including meningitis and pneumonia, are twice as likely to rash, fever and general malaise. They even cause death. The risk of hospitalization for chickenpox in adults is 6 times higher than in children. The overall mortality rate for chickenpox is 6.7 per 100,000 cases. In the risk group, newborns – up to 30%, children from 1 to 14 years old – 2 cases per 100,000.