Hastings Prince Edward Public Health (HPEPH) is investigating a ‘cluster outbreak’ of chickenpox.
The outbreak was detected last week in the Loyalist College community, with several confirmed cases.
“I don’t want it as an adult,” says Rita Vengrof, a Loyalist College student.
“I don’t want to get that.”
Aaron Doupe, who oversees the college’s health centre, says they’ve had students come to the centre who have been infected.
“We had one or two students come to the centre with chickenpox, or varicella,” says Doupe, the director of Student Success.
“So our team reached out to public health proactively to let them know, and we’ve been working proactively since then.”
HPEPH held a vaccination clinic at the college on Monday, and the medical officer of health, Dr. Ethan Toumishey, says it appears to be a small cluster outbreak.
“It’s a small number of cases,” says Dr. Toumishey.
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“We’re still confirming with the cases there. It’s, overall, less than 10 cases.”
Students were processing the sudden appearance of what most consider to be a childhood illness.
“As long as people are containing themselves and are not spreading it around, I’m not too concerned,” says Vengroff.
“[I’m] not too worried. I feel like after the pandemic, we can handle anything,” adds Keira Patrick, a Loyalist student.
Dr. Timoushey says the first symptoms of chickenpox are usually a fever and fatigue for one or two days, until the infamous pox start to appear.
“You’re contagious until those pox, those little pustules that’s a part of the rash, crust over,” says Dr. Toumishey.
“That’s usually five days after.”
Dr. Timoushey believes this outbreak is relatively contained, adding it’s a good time for people to review their vaccination records.
Another vaccination clinic is planned for Loyalist College staff and students on Thursday — one more effort to push the uncomfortable illness back into obscurity.
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