Symptoms of Fifth Disease in Children and Adults

7. When to Call a Doctor

If you come in contact with a patient with fifth disease and are unsure of your immune status, you should be cautious if you develop symptoms. There is no medication available to cure this particular disease, so most medical providers ask their patients to wait out the symptoms because there is no prescription to shorten the illness. However, if you or your child has sickle cell anemia or any other related chronic anemia, you need to seek medical help if you have been exposed to fifth disease and have the symptoms. Likewise, you need to consult a doctor immediately if a rash lasts longer than five weeks, becomes purple, or displays painful blisters. If your child looks unusually ill or has a weakened immune system, contact a physician, who will monitor the fifth disease symptoms.