Final answer:
The nurse should initiate both airborne and contact precautions for a 7-year-old client with varicella to prevent the spread of the virus through respiratory droplets and contact with skin lesions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The nurse caring for a 7-year-old client with varicella, commonly known as chickenpox, will initiate airborne and contact precautions. Varicella is caused by the varicella-zoster virus and is highly contagious. It can spread through contact with saliva or lesions of an infected person as well as through contact with respiratory droplets. Because the virus can be disseminated through the air and by contact with contaminated objects, strict infection control measures are necessary.
When dealing with varicella, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends using airborne precautions to prevent the spread through respiratory droplets and contact precautions to prevent transmission from contact with the virus from skin lesions.
Furthermore, the person who has varicella is at risk of the virus becoming latent and potentially reactivating later in life as shingles. It's important for healthcare providers to take preventative measures to protect other patients who might be at risk of developing chickenpox, especially if they have never been in contact with the varicella-zoster virus before.