Varicella requires which type of precautions?

• A. Contact precautions
• B. Chicken pox — airborne precautions
• C. Droplet precautions
• D. Standard precautions

Answer: (B)

Airborne transmission is the key concept here: varicella spreads via tiny aerosolized particles that can linger in the air and travel with air currents. To prevent this, airborne precautions are required, which means placing the patient in a negative-pressure room and ensuring healthcare workers use an N95 respirator (not just a surgical mask) when entering the room. Standard precautions are used with all patients, but they don’t prevent inhalation of aerosols. Droplet precautions cover larger respiratory droplets and do not stop the smaller airborne particles, and contact precautions address care of the skin and surfaces, not the airborne spread. So, the correct approach is airborne precautions.