00:00Chickenpox is a highly contagious virus. It's caused by the varicella zoster virus.
00:05It spreads through coughing, sneezing or direct contact with the rash.
00:09In children, it usually begins with a widespread rash that is accompanied with fever, body
00:14pains and fatigue. In adolescents, they may get the fever, nausea and body pains before
00:19they get the rash. And of course the rash looks something like this. The rash can begin
00:24as red spots and eventually it becomes fluid filled blisters that begin to crust over time.
00:29This rash is intensely itchy. If somebody gets chickenpox then the best treatment is supportive
00:34care. That's fluids and hydration and rest. For the itching, you're going to need to take an oral
00:40antihistamine and you're going to need to take oatmeal baths. You want to avoid secondary infection
00:45from the blisters that you can develop from the rash. So trimming your nails and regular baths can
00:50help with that. And of course for the itching, there's the classic chamomile lotion. If you want
00:55to prevent getting chickenpox altogether, then there's the varicella zoster vaccine. People who
01:00have had chickenpox before have something called passive immunity, so they don't need to get the
01:04vaccine. However, they are at increased risk of developing shingles later on in their life,
01:09which is a reactivation of the virus. The cause of chickenpox is usually mild,
01:14but some people who are immunocompromised or have other conditions can get severe complications.
01:18So if you experience persistent fatigue, dehydration, whistling short of breath, confusion or severe
01:25lethargy, of course it's time to check your doctor. In fact, if you're concerned at all,
01:29go see your doctor. The Ministry of Health reports these are suspected and probable cases,
01:34so it's really important to just be aware of what's going on and what the symptoms can look like.
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