Do you work with a cold sore?

Just curious if any of you who have cold sores still go to work when you get one?

I am asking this because I currently have one and it's still in the blister-stage. For some reason, I never get the prodrome stage with the tingling. I just usually notice it once it starts to blister, so I never know when one is coming.

I saw a couple of (way old) posts on this board where nurses have said their job has a policy about not working if you have an active cold sore. I work in an adult critical care area. I did go onto my hospital's policy site and wasn't able to find anything about whether or not staff should work with an active cold sore.
I think this is best asked of your manager.

Well, my director actually came into work and asked me about my lip. I explained it was a cold sore and nothing else was said.

A bit off topic,....but it still amazes me how as nurses we are expected to go to work no matter what. I have been sent home when I had pink eye,.a co worker with shingles on her face,....only after a patients family member questioned our manager about the safety of such a nurse caring for her elderly family member,....cold sores should be the same.

We have to wear a mask, but we can work.

I know that in some facilities places like NICU or immune-compromised patients nurses with cold sores are not permitted to work. Some if it is draining you are not permitted to work. Most require a mask if in direct contact.

Only when I run out of paid sick days. Money is money.

No admittance to our NICU with a cold sore, staff or families. Supposed to be anyway.

I worked with a fever all last week, and even one day as the only nurse in the office! The provider knew I had a fever and URI sx but I still couldn't leave!

This is a little off the topic but I went in for preterm labor, my nurse had what looked like a cold sore on her lip. While she was starting my IV, she pulled the end cap off the end of the IV tubing with her teeth! As politely as I could, told her to bring me new IV tubing and I would set it up myself. Cold sore or not, that is disgusting. I would call your employee health department and ask what your facility's policy is.

We are allowed to, with PPE. So I save my sick days for when I'm uuuuuhhhhh-need-to-stay-in-bed sick. I have five petri dishes, er, children in my home so I do get sick a fair amount.

This is a little off the topic but I went in for preterm labor, my nurse had what looked like a cold sore on her lip. While she was starting my IV, she pulled the end cap off the end of the IV tubing with her teeth! As politely as I could, told her to bring me new IV tubing and I would set it up myself. Cold sore or not, that is disgusting. I would call your employee health department and ask what your facility's policy is.

We can't work with newborns or immuno-compromised patients with active sores, with the general patient population there are no restrictions, only standard precautions.