Is it OK to be around someone with shingles?

Generally shingles is not contagious, but a person with active shingles can spread the virus when the rash is in the blister phase. It's important to keep the rash covered. Most cases of shingles last 3-5 weeks. Most people get shingles only one time, but, it is possible to have it more than once.
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Can you be around someone with shingles and not get it?

It's possible to transmit this virus to others who aren't immune while the shingles rash is still active. You are contagious to others until all areas of the rash are dried up and crusted over. To catch the varicella-zoster virus from you, a person has to have direct contact with your rash blisters.
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Should you stay away from someone with shingles?

If you have shingles, you should: Cover the rash, avoid touching or scratching the rash and wash your hands often to prevent the spread of the virus. Avoid close contact with people until the rash blisters heal (develop crusts). It is essential to avoid contact with people at higher risk from chickenpox infection.
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How long should you stay away from someone with shingles?

If you have shingles, you are contagious until the last blister has scabbed over. This will usually occur after about 10 to 14 days.
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Who should not be around someone with shingles?

Wash your hands often. Avoid contact with the following people until your rash crusts: pregnant women who have never had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine; premature or low birth weight infants; and.
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Is it dangerous to be around someone with the shingles if I'm pregnant?



What type of isolation is needed for shingles?

Airborne and contact precautions until disseminated infection is ruled out. Airborne and contact precautions until lesions are dry and crusted.
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Is shingles contagious by touch or airborne?

The virus is spread through direct contact with the rash or through breathing in virus particles that get mixed in the air. Once the rash has developed crusts, the person is no longer contagious. A person is not infectious before blisters appear or if pain persists after the rash is gone (post-herpetic neuralgia).
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Can shingles be transferred off of clothing?

Shingles can be spread when a person comes into contact with fluid contained in the blisters. The virus can be spread by direct contact with the lesions or by touching any dressings, sheets or clothes soiled with discharge from the spots.
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Are shingles airborne?

Is Shingles Airborne? While chickenpox is an airborne disease, with shingles the virus can only be transmitted by contact with fluid from the rash or blisters if the person with shingles has a localized rash and has a competent immune system. In such people, airborne transmission is not a concern.
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What is the incubation period for shingles?

The incubation period is 2–3 weeks and is usually 14–16 days.
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Can I be around my grandchildren if I have shingles?

If you have shingles, you probably wouldn't wish it on anyone. While you're waiting for the outbreak to end, if you have children or grandchildren you may be asking yourself, “Is shingles contagious to kids and babies?” The answer is no, you can't give them — or other adults — shingles.
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What does a mild case of shingles look like?

A mild case of shingles may include a red rash without blisters. The shingles rash and blisters are distinct characteristics of the illness. Mild cases of shingles do not usually cause headaches, fever, or fatigue. Whether mild or severe, pain is the most common symptom of shingles.
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What are the first signs of having shingles?

Symptoms
  • Pain, burning, numbness or tingling.
  • Sensitivity to touch.
  • A red rash that begins a few days after the pain.
  • Fluid-filled blisters that break open and crust over.
  • Itching.
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Can shingles spread through saliva?

You cannot spread the virus before the blisters appear or when your rash develops crusts. It is possible to transmit the virus through contact with saliva or nasal secretions, but this is very rare. Shingles is not as contagious as chickenpox.
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Can you get shingles from a hug?

Can you spread shingles? It is not possible to catch shingles from someone experiencing a shingles outbreak. If you have not previously had chickenpox and touch the fluid within blisters that appear in someone with shingles, (for example by hugging them) you could end up with chickenpox.
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Should I wash my sheets after shingles?

Keep your skin clean. Throw away bandages you use to cover your skin sores. Throw away or wash in hot water clothing that has contact with your skin sores. Wash your sheets and towels in hot water.
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What are the three stages of shingles?

Shingles' clinical manifestations are divided into 3 distinct phases: preeruptive, acute eruptive, and chronic. The preeruptive phase (or preherpetic neuralgia stage) usually lasts about 48 hours but can stretch to 10 days in some cases.
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How painful is shingles on a scale of 1 to 10?

“Shingles is extremely painful," Wigand-Bolling said. “On a scale from one to 10, most patients will say the pain ranges from six to 10.” Between 1 and 5 days after the first symptoms occur, a rash will develop in the affected area.
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What is the best over the counter medicine for shingles?

To help with the pain of shingles, your doctor might have you take an over-the-counter pain medicine. This could include acetaminophen (one brand: Tylenol) or ibuprofen (two brands: Motrin, Advil). Applying a medicated anti-itch lotion (two brands: Benadryl, Caladryl) to the blisters might reduce the pain and itching.
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Can I touch my baby if I have shingles?

Shingles cannot be passed from one person to another and cannot be spread to an infant through breast milk. However, the varicella zoster virus can spread from a person who has active shingles and cause chickenpox in someone who has never had chickenpox or received the chickenpox vaccine.
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Can a child get chickenpox from someone with shingles?

Shingles occurs in people who have already had chickenpox, usually many years later. Shingles is very contagious. You can catch chickenpox from someone with shingles through contact with their secretions or their skin rash. You cannot get shingles from someone with chickenpox.
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Do you need airborne precautions for shingles?

If the rash is disseminated (lesions outside the primary or adjacent dermatomes), follow standard precautions plus airborne and contact precaution until the lesions are crusted, regardless of if the patient is immunocompromised or immunocompetent. Place patient in negative airflow rooms.
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How can I help someone with shingles?

Some steps you can take as a caregiver to reduce the risk of spreading or acquiring infections include:
  1. Cleaning the rash or blisters and covering them with a dry, non-stick bandage.
  2. Washing your hands frequently.
  3. Laundering any clothing or linens that touch your loved one's rash in hot water.
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What will a doctor do for shingles?

Several antiviral medicines—acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir—are available to treat shingles and shorten the length and severity of the illness. These medicines are most effective if you start taking them as soon as possible after the rash appears.
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Can Covid cause shingles?

Researchers found that people 50 and older who had a COVID infection were 15% more likely to develop shingles, compared to people who were never infected. That risk climbed to 21% in people hospitalized with a severe case of COVID.
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