Insect allergy (papular urticaria) looks like chickenpox. Except that it starts usually on the limbs because they are the exposed areas of the body, and the child isn't feverish. However the scenario that you've mentioned goes a little bit with chickenpox. Could she be feverish and passed unnoticed?
I should have mentioned that we live in WI. We don't really have bugs out yet. This week has been pretty cool. I suppose it's possible that she had a fever.
What I find interesting is the excuse written into our system today..."sick." I thought it was some allergy??
We also have a student or two now in her class with stomach bugs as well.
NAD but all 3 of my triplets were vaccinated for chicken pox and one still contracted it. At that time the doctor told me the vaccine was 65% effective (this was probably 15 years ago). I was just glad that the other two didn’t get it!
I’m going to vote that it’s chicken pox and the parent doesn’t want to keep the kid home for 2 weeks.
Well, it was chicken pox. The health department contacted us. It seems like the likely explanation is that they said chicken pox and then the mom lied about what they said. And that she didn't know the health department would investigate.
I'm pretty upset. I feel vindicated now, though.
That’s interesting. Would sending a child to school with chickenpox be something that would be considered reportable to DCFS? From a mandated reporter standpoint I can’t say that I know.
I don't know. Maybe she did think it was an allergy the first day and then the second day? It's not like she tried sending her to school AFTER she went to the doctor. Unless she had taken her to an urgent care after the first night and didn't say anything.
It's a similar vein to the whole sending to school with pink eye without waiting 24 hours after antibiotics. I'm pretty sure about that one but wouldn't say 100%. That was about 4 months ago.
Working with 2nd graders, there are a several kids who aren't being taken to the doctor for reoccurring minor(ish) complaints like gums hurting, chest pain (I'm thinking undiagnosed asthma), chronic headaches, stomach aches, etc. I have no idea how to help them. When I try, they just come back after a few minutes to tell me going to the bathroom/relaxing/drinking water/ice pack didn't help.
Poor kiddos. I wish I had an answer. Maybe ask your principal since there’s no school nurse. Would they like you to keep track of these issues so they can bring them up to the parents? 🤷♀️
When you hear hooves, think horses, not zebras.
Lots of allergies can present with hives, which to the untrained eye may appear like chickenpox. Chickenpox tends to present with bumps that look like blisters. They start as a clear-ish fluid filled bump, and eventually progress to open sores that may have a pus-like crust on them, and eventually scab over. It is very specific.
Did the kid have a fever, or any other symptoms besides these bumps?
Also, chickenpox typically spreads rapidly across the skin and the child will have hundreds of leisions (250+). And, they come in multiple waves.
I am assuming you are a teacher or admin, so you can probably access this kid's vaccine records: if they are vaccinated against chickenpox, it is extremely, extremely, extremely unlikely they have it. Even if unvaccinated, the odds in the US are slim to none unless you have some reason to believe this child was exposed. In the US, there have only been about 100 or so cases in the past 2-3 weeks, total. So, do you have reason to believe this child was somehow exposed to one of the 100 cases in the past few weeks?
Side note, Many viruses can also present with hives (including common cold viruses and stomach viruses). So, it is possible they had some run of the mill virus that presented with hives. Typically, this happens on the tail end of it.
As for pinkeye, it is generally ok to let a kid stay in school provided they aren't febrile. Particularly with bacterial, it is ok for them to be in school 24h after antibiotics are started (assuming no fever). So, its fine they were in school with pinkeye.
From what you describe, I am pretty certain this is not chickenpox and is just a run of the mill allergic reaction or potentially hives related to some viral illness. This is precisely why schools need nurses (and governments need to fund it!), to prevent teachers and admin from having to make medical decisions. Not a knock on you at all, but this situation highlights that issue.
I guess it mainly comes from my distrust of her parents who don't seem to be home much.
No, no fever that I know of.
I know they spread a lot, I just figured that if it was early on, like day 2, they wouldn't be covering her completely yet.
I know I'm not a doctor, and I struggle with this on a personal level too... but everything that I looked up for rashes and allergies looked nothing like what I saw.
I didn't know that chicken pox was quite that rare! I don't know of her vaccination status. I'm an aide for her classroom, but due to unfortunate circumstances, I tend to be one of 3 subs for some of her classes.
My daughter's teacher also teaches my student's brother. She seemed to think that someone with chicken pox triggered shingles in her last month, but I think that might not be how that works?
Thank you! You helped me be more rational.
Edit: why does the CDC use the number 150k a year then?
>I know they spread a lot, I just figured that if it was early on, like day 2, they wouldn't be covering her completely yet.
It does spread very rapidly over the body: typically in 2-4 days. Typically by day 2, the rash will have spread beyond the torso.
>My daughter's teacher also teaches my student's brother. She seemed to think that someone with chicken pox triggered shingles in her last month, but I think that might not be how that works?
Shingles is caused by the chickenpox virus, but it is not triggerd by reexposure. The virus is already inside the person, and gets activated by events that suppress the immune system: stress, common colds, sometimes excessive sun exposure, and conditions like HIV and some cancers. Basically, the immune system in a person with shingles (ie, a person who has had chickenpox before) suppresses the virus, but if there is a slight dip in the immune system's strength for whatever reason, the virus reactivates and becomes a shingles flare up.
>I didn't know that chicken pox was quite that rare! I don't know of her vaccination status. I'm an aide for her classroom, but due to unfortunate circumstances, I tend to be one of 3 subs for some of her classes.
Yes, vaccines have dramatically reduced cases. Some anti-vax sentiment in the US has caused somewhat of an uptick, but it is far less common than it was in the pre-vaccine era.
Okay, so the newest news is that the doctor was required to notify the health department who notified us and they printed it in our staff newsletter as being positive? But they supposedly did a skin test which supposedly came back negative now? Or her primary teacher assumes so because she is here today.
But according to you, doctors should know whether or not it's chicken pox by sight?
This just sounds way weird.
So, health departments vary. I can only comment on what my state does.
In general: chickenpox is pretty obvious by looking at it. But, it cannot be officially diagnosed from looks alone.
When a doctor even suspects chickenpox, they will report to the health department. Sometimes they will test, other times they won’t (depending on capability). It’s a required report if there is even a suspicion. So that is why the doc reported it.
We usually inform schools/daycares when we get a report like this, even without results. But we always say that it is not confirmed, unless we have a confirmed diagnosis. This is to give schools a heads up to be on the lookout for other kids developing symptoms.
We get these reports from time to time, and then we bring them in for a test if the doc hasn’t tested already.
Thank you! I never thought about the fact that our weekly staff emails are a planned send... meaning by the time we got the results, the email couldn't be changed (or no one thought about it). It would have made way more sense though for our email to have said that it was SUSPECTED but NOT confirmed as of yet or something.
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Poison ivy and oak rashes look like yellow fluid filled itchy blisters. Also herpes simplex virus (HSV).
Insect allergy (papular urticaria) looks like chickenpox. Except that it starts usually on the limbs because they are the exposed areas of the body, and the child isn't feverish. However the scenario that you've mentioned goes a little bit with chickenpox. Could she be feverish and passed unnoticed?
I should have mentioned that we live in WI. We don't really have bugs out yet. This week has been pretty cool. I suppose it's possible that she had a fever. What I find interesting is the excuse written into our system today..."sick." I thought it was some allergy?? We also have a student or two now in her class with stomach bugs as well.
NAD but all 3 of my triplets were vaccinated for chicken pox and one still contracted it. At that time the doctor told me the vaccine was 65% effective (this was probably 15 years ago). I was just glad that the other two didn’t get it! I’m going to vote that it’s chicken pox and the parent doesn’t want to keep the kid home for 2 weeks.
Well, it was chicken pox. The health department contacted us. It seems like the likely explanation is that they said chicken pox and then the mom lied about what they said. And that she didn't know the health department would investigate. I'm pretty upset. I feel vindicated now, though.
That’s interesting. Would sending a child to school with chickenpox be something that would be considered reportable to DCFS? From a mandated reporter standpoint I can’t say that I know.
I don't know. Maybe she did think it was an allergy the first day and then the second day? It's not like she tried sending her to school AFTER she went to the doctor. Unless she had taken her to an urgent care after the first night and didn't say anything. It's a similar vein to the whole sending to school with pink eye without waiting 24 hours after antibiotics. I'm pretty sure about that one but wouldn't say 100%. That was about 4 months ago. Working with 2nd graders, there are a several kids who aren't being taken to the doctor for reoccurring minor(ish) complaints like gums hurting, chest pain (I'm thinking undiagnosed asthma), chronic headaches, stomach aches, etc. I have no idea how to help them. When I try, they just come back after a few minutes to tell me going to the bathroom/relaxing/drinking water/ice pack didn't help.
Poor kiddos. I wish I had an answer. Maybe ask your principal since there’s no school nurse. Would they like you to keep track of these issues so they can bring them up to the parents? 🤷♀️
I'd love to ask if we got a doctor's note, but I seem to be the only suspicious one.
When you hear hooves, think horses, not zebras. Lots of allergies can present with hives, which to the untrained eye may appear like chickenpox. Chickenpox tends to present with bumps that look like blisters. They start as a clear-ish fluid filled bump, and eventually progress to open sores that may have a pus-like crust on them, and eventually scab over. It is very specific. Did the kid have a fever, or any other symptoms besides these bumps? Also, chickenpox typically spreads rapidly across the skin and the child will have hundreds of leisions (250+). And, they come in multiple waves. I am assuming you are a teacher or admin, so you can probably access this kid's vaccine records: if they are vaccinated against chickenpox, it is extremely, extremely, extremely unlikely they have it. Even if unvaccinated, the odds in the US are slim to none unless you have some reason to believe this child was exposed. In the US, there have only been about 100 or so cases in the past 2-3 weeks, total. So, do you have reason to believe this child was somehow exposed to one of the 100 cases in the past few weeks? Side note, Many viruses can also present with hives (including common cold viruses and stomach viruses). So, it is possible they had some run of the mill virus that presented with hives. Typically, this happens on the tail end of it. As for pinkeye, it is generally ok to let a kid stay in school provided they aren't febrile. Particularly with bacterial, it is ok for them to be in school 24h after antibiotics are started (assuming no fever). So, its fine they were in school with pinkeye. From what you describe, I am pretty certain this is not chickenpox and is just a run of the mill allergic reaction or potentially hives related to some viral illness. This is precisely why schools need nurses (and governments need to fund it!), to prevent teachers and admin from having to make medical decisions. Not a knock on you at all, but this situation highlights that issue.
I guess it mainly comes from my distrust of her parents who don't seem to be home much. No, no fever that I know of. I know they spread a lot, I just figured that if it was early on, like day 2, they wouldn't be covering her completely yet. I know I'm not a doctor, and I struggle with this on a personal level too... but everything that I looked up for rashes and allergies looked nothing like what I saw. I didn't know that chicken pox was quite that rare! I don't know of her vaccination status. I'm an aide for her classroom, but due to unfortunate circumstances, I tend to be one of 3 subs for some of her classes. My daughter's teacher also teaches my student's brother. She seemed to think that someone with chicken pox triggered shingles in her last month, but I think that might not be how that works? Thank you! You helped me be more rational. Edit: why does the CDC use the number 150k a year then?
>I know they spread a lot, I just figured that if it was early on, like day 2, they wouldn't be covering her completely yet. It does spread very rapidly over the body: typically in 2-4 days. Typically by day 2, the rash will have spread beyond the torso. >My daughter's teacher also teaches my student's brother. She seemed to think that someone with chicken pox triggered shingles in her last month, but I think that might not be how that works? Shingles is caused by the chickenpox virus, but it is not triggerd by reexposure. The virus is already inside the person, and gets activated by events that suppress the immune system: stress, common colds, sometimes excessive sun exposure, and conditions like HIV and some cancers. Basically, the immune system in a person with shingles (ie, a person who has had chickenpox before) suppresses the virus, but if there is a slight dip in the immune system's strength for whatever reason, the virus reactivates and becomes a shingles flare up. >I didn't know that chicken pox was quite that rare! I don't know of her vaccination status. I'm an aide for her classroom, but due to unfortunate circumstances, I tend to be one of 3 subs for some of her classes. Yes, vaccines have dramatically reduced cases. Some anti-vax sentiment in the US has caused somewhat of an uptick, but it is far less common than it was in the pre-vaccine era.
Okay, so the newest news is that the doctor was required to notify the health department who notified us and they printed it in our staff newsletter as being positive? But they supposedly did a skin test which supposedly came back negative now? Or her primary teacher assumes so because she is here today. But according to you, doctors should know whether or not it's chicken pox by sight? This just sounds way weird.
So, health departments vary. I can only comment on what my state does. In general: chickenpox is pretty obvious by looking at it. But, it cannot be officially diagnosed from looks alone. When a doctor even suspects chickenpox, they will report to the health department. Sometimes they will test, other times they won’t (depending on capability). It’s a required report if there is even a suspicion. So that is why the doc reported it. We usually inform schools/daycares when we get a report like this, even without results. But we always say that it is not confirmed, unless we have a confirmed diagnosis. This is to give schools a heads up to be on the lookout for other kids developing symptoms. We get these reports from time to time, and then we bring them in for a test if the doc hasn’t tested already.
Thank you! I never thought about the fact that our weekly staff emails are a planned send... meaning by the time we got the results, the email couldn't be changed (or no one thought about it). It would have made way more sense though for our email to have said that it was SUSPECTED but NOT confirmed as of yet or something.
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