I am a teacher. I work with some wonderful, but germy little people. Recently a virus called fifths disease has been circulating through my school. Now, for most people fifths is no big deal. You get cold like symptoms and a fever when you're contagious and then several days later when you are no longer contagious the signature "slapped cheek" rash arrives. The only people that really need to worry about contracting fifths are pregnant women who have never been exposed to it before (i.e.- ME) If a pregnant woman contracts it she can pass it on to the baby and it can cause life threatening complications. Perhaps this hasn't come across in this post yet, but I am SUPER worried about contracting fifths disease. If I hear that a student in my school has it I practically break down in tears and run screaming from the building. My doctors don't have very encouraging words for me either. They're like "it can be very dangerous. Let us know if you have direct contact with someone who is contagious and we'll do a blood test to see if you have contracted it." Great, so basically I have to wait until after I've been exposed (because you really don't know until the kid gets the tell-tale rash). It is so frustrating and makes me feel like I have little control over it. I am washing my hands to the point that they are dry, bright red, and shriveled. I am particularly worried today because the sibling of one of my students may have it. That would make it highly likely that my student gets it and spreads it around my classroom. Today I freaked out and left work. I know people think I am being overly paranoid but I feel like screaming "It took 3 years of fertility treatments and one miscarriage to get here!! I am not going to let some snot-nosed student take this baby from me!!!!!"
What the heck should I do? My options are:
a) Keep going to work, washing hands obsessively, and praying that no one in my class gets it
b)Stop working 2 months before I am scheduled to stop- make no money and piss off my students' parents and principal.
I can't just quit my job but I also can't worry everyday that I will contract something that could kill my baby. Please tell me I am not the most paranoid person on the planet...
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8 comments:
A couple of things
1. Did you have serology done in early pregnancy for immunity to the usuals? If so, at least in this country, the serum is kept for a year so a parvovirus assasy could be run restrospectively. You may very well already be immune since it's a common infection. If you're not, then you can run another serum now or in a few weeks to see if the titre of antibodies is rising to suggest a new infection.
2. It's most dangerous in early pregnancy, which it can cause hydrops (anaemia foetal heart failure an death), but even though it is most dangeruos then, it is still not particularly likely to happen. I think it's somewhere around 5%. It gets less and less of a worry as gestation advances, and your risk of loss is very very VERY low at this point.
3. Even though it's all unlikely, if you did have a known exposure and were infected, the baby can be monitored via ultrasound slightly more closely to pick up any signs of foetal infection. Intervention is possible to alter what happens.
In summary, freakout = entirely reasonable given the IF etc and I don't think it's good for you to be so stressed (or short of hand skin!) at work on a daily basis but have a chat with your OB about the risk. It might provide some reassurance.
J
Please forgive the typos.....
oh and the 5% is 5% of babies in early pregnancy who are infected from the mother in the first place...a subset of a subset if you will.
J
i am no help- just sending you hugs
I can relate bc we have chicken pox going around in the school where I work and Im a nutcase about it! I'm not immune, although I thought I was bc I had it when I was 3 mos old, but not a strong enuff case I guess! I can so relate with your post!! Keep washing and no hugging kids! Hard to do, but oh so worth it! I can't wait for Christmas break where I'm safe from germs for 2 weeks and hopefully the school will clean itself out!!!!!!
You an dthe baby come firs, so do what you need to do! When I was teaching I would carry a can of lysol and spray the crap out of everything, including doorknobs and ANYTHING the kids touched. Get some rubber gloves if it makes you feel better. I would be the SAME way!
Hi- my 4 year old nephew had fifth disease when i was in my 12th week and my doctor told me to stay away from him and anyone who came in contact with him... not to freak you out-- but you have to do what's best for you and the baby- What does your doctor tell you to do? Good luck!!!
you arer NOT the most paranoid person on the planet- you are a concerned MOMMY!!!!! Hugs & sending you some virtual anti-fifths repellant so it comes nowhere near you and that baby you worked so hard for!
I teach highschool and don't have trouble getting pregnant and I totally freaked out when one of my coworkers kids got Fifth.
Do what you need to do to feel safe. The parents and principal will forgive you.
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