How does one get impetigo?
While the germs causing impetigo may have been caught from someone else with impetigo it usually begins out of the blue without an apparent source of infection. Contagion Impetigo is contagious when there is crusting or oozing. While it’s contagious, take the following precautions: • Patients should avoid close contact with other people. • Children should be kept home from school for 1-2 days. • Use separate towels for the patient. His towels, pillowcases, and sheets should be changed after the first day of treatment. The patient’s clothing should be changed and laundered daily for the first two days. All these measures are only needed during the contagious-crusting or oozing-stage of impetigo. Usually, the contagious period ends within two days after the treatment starts. Then children can return to school and special laundering and other precautions stopped. If the impetigo doesn’t heal in one week, please return for evaluation. Treatment Antibiotics taken by mouth usually clear up i
