Chicken pox isn’t keeping Moore away from work

Officials insisted it was business as usual for Scottish Secretary Michael Moore, even though the minister had been struck with a dose of chicken pox.

It was confirmed Mr Moore was suffering from the highly contagious illness on a big day for the debate over independence north of the Border.

Mr Moore is due to meet tomorrow with First Minister Alex Salmond, who yesterday launched his government’s consultation on the referendum.

His office said no engagements had been cancelled yesterday, despite the illness.

The NHS advises that adults with chicken pox should “stay off work until all the spots have crusted over” which can take up to six days from their first appearance.

Although most adults are immune to chicken pox after childhood cases, it is a common myth that you cannot get infected twice – about one in eight sufferers reports having had it previously.

The virus can spread through the air, in tiny droplets of saliva and mucus from an infected person, and can be picked up through just 15 minutes spent having a conversation with someone who has chickenpox or being in the same room as a sufferer.