I keep getting told different things about this virus, my son started with a temp on Sunday night and broke out with the sores on Monday. They are all over his body besides the inside of his mouth ( thank god) i hear thats the worse. So my question is when is he not contaminated any more? The day care said when the sores show up and temp is gone he's good!
His sores are starting too scab over and dry up, is this part of the healing or is he getting worse? Besides looking like a pook a dot child he runs around and plays all day.
When can i except the sores to be gone?
Thank you
The blisters must be dried up before they mingle with others. The listers are usually painful.
To the best of my knowledge - Hand, Foot and Mouth gives you little painless blisters on your hands, feet and mouth - and no where else.
We had a very mild case of it - our son had no fever and only a few tiny blisters that never bothered him.
Since he had no fever he never stayed home.
I'd never had it as a child, so when he got it, I got it too.
Just a few blisters on the palms of my hands and a few on my feet and also no fever.
I never stayed home from work, but no one dared touched my computer keyboard for weeks.
Blisters all over your body sounds like chicken pox (but they itch like crazy - that I had as a kid and I have a few scars from it to this day) or measles.
From the CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/hand-foot-mouth/about/transmission.html
Generally, a person with hand, foot, and mouth disease is most contagious during the first week of illness. People can sometimes be contagious for days or weeks after symptoms go away. Some people, especially adults, who get infected with the viruses that cause hand, foot, and mouth disease may not develop any symptoms. However, they may still be contagious. This is why people should always try to maintain good hygiene (e.g. handwashing) so they can minimize their chance of spreading or getting infections.
You should stay home while you are sick with hand, foot, and mouth disease. Talk with your healthcare provider if you are not sure when you should return to work or school. The same applies to children returning to daycare.
So...it depends.
my daughters dr said when she no longer has sores. she had it at 13 months old (never in day care or anything like that). I want to say for her it was like a month before she had no sores on her hands and feet. she also got a nasty diaper rash from it too.
Our kid had this last year. The sores went away, but he was left with fairer spots, where he hadn't tanned because of the scabs. Those took months to even out. Basically, he looked his usual self come mid winter when the tan had fully faded.
good luck to you and yours,
F. B.
I thought they could be chicken pox, but they do not bother him, just look really bad rash all over him.
Thank you to everyone for giving their answer it helps
Updated
Thank you everyone, he is doing a lot better and yes they do look bad when they scab over
My doctor told me with both of my kids that by the time the blisters show up they are done being contagious. I was also told that they only need to be kept home until their temps were normal for 24 hours (without meds) and they weren't uncomfortable because of the blisters. With both of my kids that was a week or less. When the blisters scab over they look horrible, but they are just fine and can be at daycare and out in public. Within a week or two there was no sign of the blisters except for some slight "scars". Neither of the kids have those "scars" anymore.
