Does anyone know...?

Ok so me & a girl I work with are both FREAKING OUT. I am 31 weeks pg & she is getting married next weekend & some chick in our office came into work EVERY DAY this week with SHINGLES. Like BIG OPEN SORES/ Does anyone know how contagious they are? I am getting conflicting information online.

I am so scared of catching it b/c I read that the virus that causes shingles can cause birth defects & miscarraige. My friend obv doesn't want shingles at her wedding!!!!

HELP!!

(PS - I already went to HR and asked them if they could send her home & they said no. They told me to 'buy Purel'. Thanks. Very helpful. Jacka$$es)

OMG!! Shingles is CHICKEN POX for Adults! (I know b/c mom is a nurse, and I had a scare!)

It's contagious. Especially if you have never had Chicken Pox as a child. When adults get Shingles, it's even worse for them than if they had gotten Chicken pox when young. Look it up on the internet, and bring what you find to HR. They should send her home ASAP!

Are you positive it's shingles?!

If so, talk to that person's supervisor or yours... She shouldn't be around if she is contagious.

However, the marks from shingles take a long time to go away. It's quite possible that she is no longer contagious, but still has the marks.

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Posted by Kara and Todd

Are you positive it's shingles?!

If so, talk to that person's supervisor or yours... She shouldn't be around if she is contagious.

However, the marks from shingles take a long time to go away. It's quite possible that she is no longer contagious, but still has the marks.

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This is also true. While Shingles is very contagious, your co-worker may no longer be contagious. Check with the supervisor and make them give you some answers!!!

It's definitely the shingles. She said she went to the Dr & she is on meds for it. She's been in every day this week. She has a rash all over her & some lesions. Its DISGUSTING.

She gave me the famous 'once you're on medicine, you're no longer contagious' line. Then she said 'I'm only a danger to pregnant women or people on chemo.' Um, HELLO, I'M PREGNANT YOU TWIT!!!! But HR won't send her home. They said 'if we tell people not to come in when they're sick, no one would come to work.'

Meanwhile, I'm about to call the Board of Health (joking.... kind of. Ok, not really)

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Posted by carolinebr

It's definitely the shingles. She said she went to the Dr & she is on meds for it. She's been in every day this week. She has a rash all over her & some lesions. Its DISGUSTING.

She gave me the famous 'once you're on medicine, you're no longer contagious' line. Then she said 'I'm only a danger to pregnant women or people on chemo.' Um, HELLO, I'M PREGNANT YOU TWIT!!!! But HR won't send her home. They said 'if we tell people not to come in when they're sick, no one would come to work.'

Meanwhile, I'm about to call the Board of Health (joking.... kind of. Ok, not really)

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IS this woman a moron??!?!?!?!?!?!
You need to get on the horn with your boss immediately!!
I can't believe HR said that...you need to call your doctor, tell him/her the situation and get a note stating that you are calling in sick until this person is healed!!!!!
I'm flipping out here for you!!!!

I work in a hospital and one of the nurses is pregnant and had to take a diff. assignment because a patient had shingles. I would go to the Dr.

ETA: If HR is doing nothing than it's up to you to find out from your Dr. what you can do. Obviously you can't be around this person!! Also I would get on HR for risking the healthy of others. You know your preg. so you know she's dangerous to you. There could also be someone else working who doesn't know they are pregnant.

Thank you everyone. I thoughy maybe I was overreacting. the HR lady here is such a b!tch and is treating me like I am a panic striken idiot. I left a message for my doctor already and I am awaiting a call back.

I'm just so annoyed b/c I was talking to shingles lady today in the bathroom & she said NOTHING to me!!! She could have said 'oh gee, stay away from me, I'm sick' or SOMETHING, ya know?

I can't believe they are allowing her to continue to work. I had never had chicken pox as a child and two months ago I got my first of two vaccinations against it. My doctor explained that even though I had a much milder form of chicken pox injected into me, and would probably have no symptoms what so ever, I still had to stay far away from anyone on chemotherapy and also anyone who was pregnant or thought they might be. He said it is extremely dangerous for a pregnant woman to come into contact with anyone with this virus, no matter how mild of a case they might have. It can cause birth defects and all other kinds of complications. A friend at work has a sister that contracted chicken pox during pregnancy and the child was born deaf. I would contact your doctor and see what he says. I can't believe your office is acting like this is no big deal!! I would be beyond furious if I were you. Open wounds sound like she is still contagious. She should not be allowed to return until she is fully recovered...especially when they even told her to stay away from anyone that is pregnant.

My brother had shingles last year he was on medication...there might be different forms (I am not sure if my brother was contagious he was still aloud to go to his college classes & I know his was triggured from stress) I would call your doctor and ask him/her. good luck!

If it is contagious I would not go into work until you definately know! you don't want to put your health or your babys health @ risk!