I believe the pathology is via opportunistic secondary infections: A chicken pox infection can lead to pneumonia. It can also lead to bacterial infections that occur in the open sores.

Having no children, I had no idea, I found out a few months ago. Kids don't need to "get" chicken pox anymore, like they used to.

and who knows how long he had the symptoms before then. I don't know that we can treat it like the chicken pox because there seem to be so many varying degrees of sickness.

In fifth grade and the first sign of it was the start of the 2 week Christmas vacation.

It was over on the last day of vacation. My mom felt so sorry for me that she let me take off the first day back to school.

I felt like such a loser....