Fifth Disease: What it is and why you need to protect your kids from it

Have you heard of Fifth Disease?

Probably not.

It’s not named for being the ‘fifth disease’ your kids get, and it’s only common once you have children in schools, aged five to 15.

Confused?

Here are the symptoms of Fifth Disease to watch out for…

Fifth Disease is a mild rash illness that can be present year round, says Central Valley School District. 

If your kids have it, they’ll complain of typical flu symptoms like a headache, body ache, sore throat, low-grade fever and chills.

But don’t breathe a sigh of relief just yet when these symptoms disappear after a week.

Because these are followed by a bright red rash on the cheeks giving a 'slapped face' appearance or 'lacy' rash on the arms and legs. 

The rash is mild and can fade and recur based on weather. 

While this isn’t serious for children, it can be if adults develop it while pregnant.

Pregnant women need to avoid picking up Fifth Disease!

If a pregnant woman gets the illness in the first half of her pregnancy it can result in a miscarriage or stillbirth, adds the site.

But as individuals with Fifth Disease are only contagious through coughing and sneezing secretions, you can protect yourself – and your children – by not touching your eyes, mouth, or nose while in public places and washing your hands often.

This is the best way to lower your risk of infection anytime you’re around someone who’s ill, says eHow.
 
It’s also a good idea to wash your hands each time you’re about to eat, to make sure your hands are clean and that you’re not transferring any germs you’ve come into contact with straight into your mouth.
 
To wash your hands properly, make sure you wash them with warm, soapy water for 20 seconds to eliminate germs on the hands.

It’s the only way to prevent spreading and catching of an illness like Fifth Disease.