Child with chickenpox? Keep this in mind.

Does your child have chicken pox? Then you may be wondering if it's still okay for your child to go to daycare or school, and whether you need to keep your distance at home as well. You can read about that and more in this article.

Chickenpox incubation period

The incubation period of chickenpox is the time between infection and the first symptoms. This period is usually between 13 and 18 days. Thus, before the red bumps and spots show up on the skin, a child is already contagious. This makes it difficult to avoid spreading the infection to other children. Infection can occur by inhaling tiny droplets of moisture that are released when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks. This often happens in enclosed areas where children have a lot of contact with each other, such as in a classroom. In addition, children can also become infected through direct skin contact since the fluid in the blisters is also contagious. Therefore, if the bumps and blisters open and another child comes in contact with them, there is a good chance that the other child will also be infected.

Can your child with chickenpox go to childcare or school?

If your child starts to visibly suffer from the chickenpox, it is wise to keep him or her at home. This way you prevent further contamination and this is also better for your child. However, the damage has often been done and there is a very good chance that other children have become infected in the meantime. As a parent, you don't have to worry and you can pick up your child from the nursery or school. Infection only occurs after a long stay in the same room (more than an hour).

Swimming with the chicken pox

Can your child go swimming while he or she has chickenpox? In principle, you can, but it is not wise. If the bumps and blisters have not dried completely, there is a chance that they will become inflamed or even more itchy after contact with the water.

Impact of chickenpox on households

There is no need to keep your distance at home if your child is struggling with chickenpox. The rule with chickenpox is that if you have had it once as a child yourself, you are normally immune to chickenpox for the rest of your life. So it is not necessary to keep your distance from your child.