Symptoms start 10 to 21 days after a person has come in contact with the virus.
Before the classic rash, a person may have:
A person will then get a rash that turns into itchy, fluid-filled blisters. It may spread over the whole body, including the mouth, eyelids, and genitals. The blisters will burst and scab over in 4 to 7 days. The scabs fall off in about 3 weeks.
Chickenpox. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/chickenpox. Accessed September 8, 2020.
Chickenpox. Family Doctor—American Academy of Family Physicians website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Accessed September 8, 2020.
Chickenpox (varicella). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Accessed September 8, 2020.
Gershon AA, Breuer J, et al. Varicella zoster virus infection. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2015 Jul 2;1:15016.
Last reviewed March 2020 by
EBSCO Medical Review Board
Shawna Grubb, RN
Last Updated: 3/23/2021