Shingles

[Eastender]

Hi I work in a care home, and have just found out that our manager has been of with shingles. Firstly I would like to know if shingles is catching? and I would also like some feed back, as to whether all staff should have been informed of the outbreak, as it was kept very hush hush and only a few members of staff were aware of it. Thanks

[society]

http://www.medicinene.../shingles/article.htm

http://www.webmd.com/...ingles-topic-overview

[bednobs]

you can hardly call 1 person an outbreak.
People have the right for their medical details to be kept private, rather than having all staff informed of all exact details

[ladyalex]

As I understand it, you can catch chickenpox from a person who has shingles, but not shingles......that is assuming that you have not had chicken pox before. If you have had chickenpox , you are at no risk.
I have no idea of the 'rules' about this, but I would have thought that it would have been sensible to inform people that the manager had shingles, in the same way that mothers are/can be told of an outbreak of chickenpox etc at school.
Chickenpox in a child is usually a very mild illness. In an adult it is most definitely not a mild illness. Very unpleasant and debilitating.
Hope that helps.

[boxtops]

It's contagious for a certain length of time , have a look here http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shingles

It's not a reportable disease, as I understand it.

[mike11111]

Whilst I agree with LadyAlex when she says shingles is a most debilitating illness, having been a sufferer in my 30s, I must disagree with her statement that if you have had chicken pox you are at no risk. I had chickenpox when I was 11 but that did not prevent me from catching shingles 25 years later. This I am afraid is an old wives' tale, to which any doctor will attest.

[alexanderd]

I had shingles a few years back, its horrible but you cant pass it on(shame that) as shingles only as chickenpos to someone who has not been infected before.

[Eastender]

Thanks for the input. And as you say lady, it would have been sensible and the decent thing to let all staff know.

[bednobs]

sorry, i don't agree about it being the decent thing. I would be mortified if i was off sick and my manager told everbody why. The decent thing is to keep medical things confidential!

[ladyalex]

Read my post again Mike11111
The chicken pox virus hangs around in your system and can later emerge as shingles.
Same virus, different form.
If you have had chickenpox, you cannot catch it (chickenpox) again.
You cannot catch shingles, the virus is either in you because you have already had chickenpox or it is not.
Shingles is horrid, as is having chickenpox as an adult.

[bednobs]

aids does not spread like wildfire, in fact it's really hard to transmit as the virus survives ffor such a short time out of the body. Although Tumshieheid sort of proves my point - would you want to know everyones personal medical history, or have everyone knowing yours?

[alexanderd]

what makes you think aids spreads like wildfire?

[askyourgran]

God I've heard it all now.

[mike11111]

Don't understand your point, ladyalex. I have had full-blown chicken pox and full-blown shingles. Perhaps Sqad will give a definitive answer.

[marie26]

As others have stated, there is no need for anyone to be informed of the reason why a member of staff is unwell. Data protection is prime, and everyone is entitled to confidentiality. If there is any risk to any member of the team, this should be dealt with in a sensitive and timely manner.
As shingles can be very painful and debilitating, your manager took the best course of action.

[ladyalex]

My point is that I most certainly did not say that having chicken pox prevents shingles. Quite the opposite.
The chickenpox virus and the shingles virus are essentially the same virus.
What I said was that you cannot catch shingles from someone who has shingles.
You can, however, catch chickenpox from someone who has shingles if you have not had chickenpox before.
Once you have had chickenpox the virus stays in your system, alters slightly in some way and can return later as shingles, if, for example your immune system is compromised. You don't 'catch ' shingles, you just develop it.
Is this clear now ?
If it is not, read one of the excellent links posted by society in the first answer to this post.

[pastafreak]

??? We are talking about shingles....not the Ebola virus. Shingles is painful and debilitating-yes. But lives are not 'at risk'. Keep things in perspective.

[mike11111]

"If you have had chickenpox , you are at no risk (of shingles)".

Your words, ladyalex, not mine, and clearly quite false.

[jno]

I had shingles once... it amounted to a slightly itchy eye. So it's not always debilitating.