Infections - Viral
What Are Viral Infections?
Viral infections commonly result in skin lesions and rashes. Typically, a rash occurs, and resolution is seen after the immune system clears the infection. This is a common pattern in children. Some viruses lie dormant in the host's cells and reactivate at a later time -- sometimes years later. Another pattern is a chronic infection. Viruses can infect the skin by direct inoculation, by local spread, or by systemic infection.
Treatments
Most infections are not dangerous to a person or people in the vicinity (unless they are part of an infectious disease such as chickenpox). Many viral infections get better on their own after running a course. It is therefore not unreasonable to treat symptoms like itchy and/or dry skin for a few days to see whether the condition lessens and goes away. If these measures do not help, or if the rash persists or becomes more widespread, a visit to a general physician or dermatologist is advisable.