Identifying the Contagious Window
Placeholder: the infectious window differs by pathogen and transmission route.
- 1–2 days: Chickenpox pre-rash spread (placeholder note)
- Week 1: HFMD peak shedding (placeholder note)
- Fever only: Roseola contagious phase (placeholder note)
- Varies: Airborne vs contact (placeholder note)
Why the contagious window matters
Placeholder: contagiousness often starts before visible symptoms appear.
The 24-Hour Fever-Free Standard
Placeholder: most policies require fever resolution without medication first.
- 24h: Standard rule (placeholder note)
- Required: Antipyretic-free (placeholder note)
- Rash follows fever: Roseola nuance (placeholder note)
- Plus dry sores: HFMD nuance (placeholder note)
Why fever-free matters
Placeholder: fever resolution signals declining viral activity in most cases.
Rash and Lesion Healing Milestones
Placeholder: crusting, drying, or fading rash mark different clearance points.
- All crusted: Chickenpox milestone (placeholder note)
- Sores dried: HFMD milestone (placeholder note)
- Not required: Roseola milestone (placeholder note)
- 5–7: Typical days (placeholder note)
Reading lesion stages
Placeholder: lesion appearance is used as a visual proxy for contagiousness.
Illness-Specific Minimum Exclusion Days
Placeholder: each illness carries its own recommended days-out threshold.
- ~5 days: Chickenpox (placeholder note)
- ~2 days: HFMD (placeholder note)
- ~1 day: Roseola (placeholder note)
- Pediatric guidance: Source (placeholder note)
Comparing durations
Placeholder: shorter incubation-to-clearance illnesses need fewer exclusion days.
Combining Signals into a Return Decision
Placeholder: the traffic-light model merges fever, rash and day count.
- Exclude: Red (placeholder note)
- Caution: Yellow (placeholder note)
- Return: Green (placeholder note)
- 3 factors: Decision inputs (placeholder note)
Final clearance logic
Placeholder: illness type plus days-since-fever drives the light color.
Placeholder key insight: always follow local pediatric guidance over this simulator.