For some people, especially the elderly or those with a weakened immune system, shingles can be a serious condition. Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. And it can come back as shingles, even after a period of years has passed. Ideally, anyone suffering an actual illness should stay at home. Presenteeism is a very real thing, and detrimental to the workplace culture. But can an employee work with shingles?
Technically, yes. However, shingles can transmit chickenpox. They can come back once they feel better, in the event of a fever—but if they have a rash on exposed skin, they should really stay off work until this has crusted over. You might need medicine to help speed up your recovery and avoid longer-lasting problems. They can arrange a phone call from a nurse or doctor if you need one.
Go to Your skin can be painful for weeks after the rash has gone, but it usually gets better over time. You cannot spread shingles to others. But people who have not had chickenpox before could catch chickenpox from you. Stay off work or school if the rash is still oozing fluid weeping and cannot be covered, or until the rash has dried out.
You can only spread the infection to other people while the rash oozes fluid. However, the varicella-zoster virus is contagious.
If you have shingles, you can pass the virus to another person, which could then cause them to develop chickenpox. However, the virus can only be transmitted from the time blisters appear to when they form a crust, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC.
Keeping the rash covered will reduce the risk of transmission. For most of that time, the virus stays in an inactive state. But it can reactivate again years later. This could cause the person to develop shingles. Read on to learn more about shingles and how to prevent the spread of the varicella-zoster virus. The varicella-zoster virus can typically spread from a person with shingles to someone who has never had chickenpox. If a person has had chickenpox , they usually have antibodies against the virus in their body.
Shingles causes open, oozing blisters. This could lead to chickenpox. Once the blisters scab, they can no longer pass on the virus. Most people have the varicella-zoster virus in their bodies. But the National Institute on Aging says that it only reactivates in around one-third of them, so only one in three people with the virus will have shingles. However, the chance of this happening increases as a person gets older. Around half of all cases occur after the age of 60 years, and the risk increases significantly from 70 onward.
Early shingles symptoms can include:. The most noticeable symptoms are blisters and pain. The outward symptoms of shingles look a lot like a case of chickenpox. Both diseases cause raised blisters that open, ooze fluid, and crust over.
But unlike the chickenpox rash, which can occur on different parts of your body, shingles usually affects one area of your body.
Shingles blisters are most prevalent on your torso, where they wrap around your waist on one side of your body. The shingles rash may also appear on one side of your face. If this happens, contact a doctor immediately. Shingles travels along a nerve path, causing pain and strange sensations.
Itching and sensitivity to touch are also symptoms of shingles. Shingles pain varies in severity. How to get your child to put away toys.
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