NLN NEX Reading Comprehension Practice Test

PASSAGE 1 It is hard to imagine that the virus that causes children to break out into itchy red dots and miss a few days of school is the same one that can send adults to the hospital begging for pain relief, but it is true. The varicella-zoster virus is responsible for both chickenpox in children and shingles in adults. Unlike many other viruses, this herpes virus can hibernate within the body for decades, only becoming noticeable when a person’s immune system is severely compromised. Shingles is often considered one of the most uncomfortable conditions because it causes burning and/or shooting pain, tingling and itching, and commonly rashes or blisters. Treatment ranges from a vaccine that prevents the virus from attacking in the first place to antiviral and pain medications for people who are already affected. Every year almost one million Americans seek help from the pain and discomfort of shingles, costing the United States $556 million in treatment. Unfortunately, a great many of these victims are also members of a very vulnerable population: the elderly. According to research, people 65 years of age or older are seven times more likely to develop shingles than younger people. What makes this virus unusual?