Chickenpox is a viral infection caused by a virus called Varicella-zoster, also known as V.Z.V. this virus spreads through the air when a person with chickenpox coughs & sneezes, or when someone comes into direct contact with saliva or mucus or liquid from blisters of an infected person. It is so contagious that you can even get the chickenpox virus from touching the clothes or other objects that have the blister liquid on them.

Once the Vzv virus enters someone’s body, the person often gets a runny nose, followed by fever, and a headache. Then in a couple of days, the infected person will notice some red rashes on the chest and face that slowly spreads around the entire body. Initially, these rashes look like pinkish dots, that quickly develop a small bump on top and after a couple of days, they turn into itchy fluid filled blisters that eventually begin to crust over and then it takes around 10 – 14 days for all the blisters to be scabbed.

Chickenpox is a highly contagious disease, and a person with chickenpox is most contagious during the first 2 – 5 days of being sick, that is about 1 – 2 days before the red rash shows up, and unfortunately, you could be spreading around chickenpox unknowingly, so the infected person must remain at home and take some rest until the rash is gone and all the blisters have dried up. This process usually takes about 1 week.

Once someone has chickenpox & recovers from it, he/she will most likely never get it again. But in some cases, the virus can reactivate later as shingles. Also, people who have been vaccinated against chickenpox can still get the disease; however, the symptoms are usually milder with fewer or no red bumps and little or no fever.