Know More about Chickenpox with Dr. Saeed

As the likelihood of contact among school and college students is high, the risk for transmission of chickenpox increases, therefore taking precautionary measures is important. 

Here is Dr. Baher El Saeed, the famous pharmacist on Facebook, talking about important information about chickenpox, its causes, symptoms, and ways of dealing with it during his weekly interview with InBox TV program aired on Sada El Balad 2 channel.

Chickenpox, also known as varicella, is a highly contagious infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus. It spreads by coughing, sneezing, and direct contact with skin lesions. 

According to Dr. Saeed, chickenpox mainly targets children in autumn and spring, but adults can get it. The good news is that once the virus infects you, it never comes back to you again. 

"Newly-born babies could get chickenpox if their mothers hadn't been infected with it before," Dr. Saeed noted.

The telltale sign of chickenpox is itchy red blisters that appear all over the body, beginning from the back and abdomen. In severe cases, the blisters can spread to the nose, mouth, and eyes. 

The pharmacist advised the public isolating those infected for 10 to 21 days after exposure to the virus and till the symptoms appear. 

"Anyone will be contagious to those around him up to 48 hours before the skin rash starts to occur," he warned. 

Symptoms could be listed in fever, loss of appetite, headache, feeling very tired, and irritable. 

Chickenpox may have complications topped of which Reye's syndrome in children and teenagers who take aspirin during the virus infection. 

It is worth noting that smokers are at higher risk of chickenpox complications because their immunity is very low, as well as people who take medications for HIV or cancer. 

Parents should keep their infected children out of school for 21 days during which some measures are being taken to treat the children quickly, including taking a shower twice a week and not exposing to any other infection.