Duration

From the day of infection to the onset of the first symptoms, it takes between four days and three weeks. At first, it takes about one to two weeks before the infection with rubella becomes visible at all in the form of a rash. You yourself are contagious from about the 5th day after infection until the 10th day, i.e. usually in the phase in which you yourself do not yet have any symptoms and therefore do not know that you can infect others.

Therefore the virus spreads very quickly during this time. The rash initially appears only on the face. Within a few days it spreads to the rest of the body.

Afterwards the skin changes fade slowly. It can also happen that the rash appears more strongly again after initial improvement. The various symptoms can last for different lengths of time.

The rash may not appear at all, but it can also last up to seven weeks and be associated with unpleasant itching. The skin can remain sensitively dry and scaly for up to four weeks after the rash has subsided, and therefore requires particularly intensive care. As a rule, however, the patient’s general condition is not impaired, so that they can usually return to work or go to school/kindergarten after one or two weeks. Furthermore, one can only get the virus once, because one forms antibodies and is thus protected from further infection.

Causes

The ringworm is caused by the parvovirus B19. This is a DNA virus that usually multiplies in the precursors of human blood cells. The virus is transmitted by droplet infection, which means that direct contact via the hands is sufficient to pass on the virus.

The virus is only pathogenic for humans, animals are not affected. Between 60 and 70 % of pre-school children have been in contact with the virus. There are between 4 days and 2 weeks between the infection and the beginning of symptoms and especially during this time one is very contagious, which is why the disease often spreads unnoticed.