How to avoid catching ringworm?

May 20, 2023 9:17 PM

Going to a hotel for a weekend with 2 friends. One just discovered they have ringworm. How do we keep from getting it?

Friend's inner elbow was itchy this morning and by the end of the day looked pretty much like this - a few irregular red circles covering an area about 4 inches square.

Hotel activities will include:
Hanging out on the couch - which pulls out into a sofa bed someone else is sleeping on
Not sharing beds (except for the couch/sofabed)
Swimming pool
Hot tub
Sharing a bathroom

How do we keep from spreading it?

posted by nouvelle-personne to Health & Fitness (6 answers total)

It might very well not be ringworm (which is a fungus, not a worm). Quite a few things look like ringworm and not all are infectious.

You must know this already as the image you shared is of Lyme disease?

I had a immune response to having flu that looked like that too.

Your friend will probably want to see a doctor, if the marks don't go away soon.

If it is ringworm you're not likely to catch it unless you share towels, bedding, or clothing, or touch them a lot.
posted by Zumbador at 9:32 PM on May 20, 2023 [9 favorites]

Hi! I’m prone to ringworm, and have never spread it to others, but if I were your friend, here is what I would do: wash with soap, dry the area with a hair dryer, and apply ketoconazole cream morning and night, starting immediately (I avoid active areas with my towels for my *own* benefit!); wear a light linen overshirt or summer sweater if it’s warm, long-sleeved shirt or sweater if it’s cold, not rolling up the sleeves; bring liquid soap for the shower so that no one has to share a soap with me; wash my hands often; offer to take the sofa bed (I don’t think the bed will make a difference, but it clearly is a question in at least your mind, and I’d want you to feel reassured).
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 12:43 AM on May 21, 2023 [2 favorites]

I would make sure they were treating it!! if it’s a fungal skin infection, topical + oral antifungals can knock it down quickly. Other than that, probably all you can do is not share towels.
posted by haptic_avenger at 5:39 AM on May 21, 2023 [1 favorite]

I catch a case of ringworm every couple of years, as I am congenitally unable to resist snuggling every barn cat & semi-feral kitten I come across. While treating it, I share a bed with my partner, and he's never caught it from me - it's not as ragingly infectious as some assume. Don't share towels, if you're all very sweaty don't rub your skin all over their elbow, and you'll all be fine.
posted by wind_up_horse at 6:21 AM on May 21, 2023 [4 favorites]

Your friend will probably want to see a doctor, if the marks don't go away soon.

Yeah this is a thing where it's really important to know what you're dealing with, as Zumbador said above, make sure it's not Lyme. When I had ringworm, I took oral antifungals and it cleared up really quick. If I was going to be sharing a room/bathroom with someone, I'd want to treat this ASAP but mostly it's keeping away from things you could get it from. No sharing towels/bedding and I'd be kind of careful about shared surfaces like the couch. They should not get in a hot tub if they have ringworm.
posted by jessamyn at 9:43 AM on May 21, 2023 [4 favorites]

Response by poster: Just for the record the image I shared actually is ringworm, even though the link says Lyme. Here’s the actual source
posted by nouvelle-personne at 10:34 PM on May 21, 2023