Shingles Am I Infectious

[gordiescotland1]

HI there
I have got shingles I have had chest pain for 3 days thought it was my heart but I got a rash last night. Went to GP this morning who told me that I have shingles and she put me on Acciclir 5 times a day for next 7 days. Am I infectious to anyone I have a church party on Sunday and I am doing a reading. There will be a couple of new born babies there should I cancel going

[retrocop]

I believe you are infectious.My mother was in an isolation room in hospital with shingles
If another person has had chicken pox in the past,then,they are immune to it I THINK???

[retrocop]

Further to last.I would certainly not risk passing it on to new born babys.

[boxtops]

People who haven't had chickenpox can pick up the condition from you - it's isn't infectious, it's contagious. People can catch it from contact with you, not airborne. http://www.patient.co.uk/health/shingles-herpes-zoster-leaflet

[boxtops]

Here's a similar question. I wouldn't risk those babies, stay home. http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/ate/infections/202838.html

[gordiescotland1]

Right I will I have just emailed my minister what I was going to read out and someone else will do the reading. I would hate anyone else to get ill as a result

[Sqad]

No, shingles isn't infectious.

[pixie373]

You can get chicken pox from shingles.

[Peter Pedant]

Saqd - you cant get shingles from shingles
but you can Chickenpox - think back to your path and bact course in 1897 or whenever.

This link c/p e shingles was Edgar Hope Simpson's life work
who co-incidentally was my late father's senior partner in 1944.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Edgar_Hope-Simpson

[penelope2]

You can get chickenpox from shingles IF you've never had chickenpox before, hence gordiescotland is wise not to be near new born babies.

[ummmm]

Some people get chicken pox twice.

[Sqad]

Peter....you can't get shingles from shingles.

Yes, you can get chicken pox from shingles, but it would be very unusual and it would be by direct contact with the open sores....i.e contagious.

The question was is Shingles infectious?
Your answer would be correct if the question was "is shingles contagious?"

Read the question........

[Peter Pedant]

no no Sqad - are you a Jesuit ?

I am not sure if anyone else understands the infectious/contagious run-around. and I dont recollect I used either word in my post.... but I could be mistaken.

[Sqad]

Peter.......I give up............

[craft1948]

I must be having a bad day................I understood sqad.

[pixie373]

Yes. You are technically right, sqad. Although answering the tone of the question, i would avoid new babies. If only because their mums might be annoyed.

[boxtops]

I think that's what I said, sqad - not infectious, but contagious in terms of the chicken pox risk.

[Peter Pedant]

.

sorry - everyone DOES realise the difference between infectious ( for chingels ) and contagious (for CP)

we didnt allow people to come into work with shingles....

[ummmm]

I understood what the OP meant.

[pixie373]

...it isn't infectious for shingles

[jomifl]

PP, I think sqad means gordie can infect by contagion without being infectious :o)