Symptoms

You probably won’t get any symptoms until 2-3 weeks after you have been infected. This is called the incubation period. The first symptom you will probably notice is a rash on your face, which then spreads to the rest of your body. Luckily, this rash doesn’t usually itch, and it only lasts from 3 to 5 days. You are infectious from a week before you get any symptoms until 5 days after you get this rash, so you as soon as you get it, you should stay home from school and not play with your friends for 5 days.

You may also have swollen glands behind your ears for a few days, and have a sore throat, a cough and a cold. It is possible that you may also have conjunctivitis and aches and pains in your joints.

You probably won’t feel very ill at all, but you need to make sure that you stay away from any pregnant women while you have German measles. If a pregnant woman catches it, it can be very dangerous because it can cause serious problems to develop in her unborn baby. If you think you need to see your doctor, don’t go to the surgery, as there may be pregnant women there. Ask your Mum or Dad to phone the doctor and arrange for a home visit instead.