Tevilah with shingles

I have recently developed a case of shingles..I have started to blister over.1) can i tovel with the blisters? 2) Is it a danger for other women to tovel in the same water? since the contagious part of the virus is in the blister.. 3) If i can't tovel at the regular time..how long must i wait?
Thank you

Dear questioner,

Thank you for your question.

Because the scabs are part of your skin and would be painful (and even slightly dangerous) to remove, they are not considered a chatzitzah. They should be soaked well to soften as much as possible. The degree of contagion via the water is rather small, but to be on the safe side, you should ask to be the last woman to immerse for the day before changing the water. You need to discuss this with the mikveh lady in advance, as different mikvaot change the water at different frequency and/or have filtration systems.

Refuah sheleimah!

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