I am a preschool teacher and I contracted Fifth Disease over a year ago. I began to feel bad a few days after a student sneezed on me. I developed a rash on my face, chest, and arms. My knees and elbows were swollen to almost twice their size and hurt tremendously. I was in so much pain that I finally went to the emergency room, I was immediately admitted to the hospital and was there almost a week. After many blood tests, I was diagnosed with Human Parvovirus B19. I have had a couple of other illnesses over the past few months and my doctor feels fairly certain that they all are a result of the Fifth disease. Needless to say, I feel that this is no minor illness for adults.

I started with a terrible headache for two days. Then I woke up not able to move my wrists or turn my head because my neck was stiff. The next day I couldn't lift my arms up over my head and my feet and knees felt achy. The doctors did an MRI of my head and neck. I was tested for Lyme and several other illnesses. Finally a week and a half later the blood tests revealed that I had parvovirus. Four weeks later I am feeling much better but still experiencing tingling and soreness in my hands and wrists. Cannot wait for this virus to be gone!

My 3-year-old has developed Fifth Disease. He came down with a cold 3 days ago, had a fever for one day. Today he was diagnosed with Fifth Disease. He started with red cheeks and the following day, a rash had developed on his back, shoulders and top of his arms. The following day, the rash looked like it had mapped itself together on his back, tummy and arms. He is running around the place with no sickness only a small cough.

I got it in my late thirties. It swelled up all my joints. I had to wear slippers because my feet were so swollen. All of my joints were so painful.

My five-year-old son is at the tail end of fifth disease. He was fine one night when I put him to bed the next morning he had a sore throat, a cold, and a fever. He was in bed for two days. On the third day, his fever broke but got a rash all over his chest and back then it went up his neck, down his arms and on his hands and cheeks. The fever came back. Finally after six days the fever is totally gone and the rash is going away. I think his case was mild. I am just hoping there are no long term side effects from it.

Four kids of a family of five kids, plus Mom, are down with 5th disease! I guess the fifth kid will get it too then! Some of the kids are in stages of improvement, some are not! This is tough on Mom. Today one of the kids got a very itchy hive on her chest area. The others haven't mentioned a rash. Mom has been the most ill.