It would be extremely hard for you to catch shingles from a coworker.

Shingles is also called "zoster." It is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. Usually, this virus enters our bodies in childhood when it often causes chickenpox. After the chickenpox ends, the virus stays inside our bodies for the rest of our lives. The immune system cannot kill it, so it just tries to keep it quiet. The virus lives inside nerves that lead to our skin. In most of us, it remains "asleep" inside the nerves and causes no problems. But sometimes it "wakes up" and begins making copies of itself. That's when trouble can start.

When the virus wakes up, it can cause pain, itching, or just a strange unpleasant sensation in a patch of skin. A few days later, that patch of skin starts to develop a rash: the skin turns red and tiny little blisters form. That's the condition called shingles or zoster. The rash usually lasts no longer than a few days, but sometimes the pain and discomfort can persist.

Let's get back to your question. Could you catch shingles from a coworker? You are already infected with the virus. Before a vaccine was developed about 15 years ago, nearly 90% of adults in the U.S. had been infected with the virus. If you had chickenpox as a kid, you have the virus in your body already.

If you are among the few people never infected with the varicella-zoster virus, and if you were to touch the little blisters on the skin of a coworker (which contains many virus particles), you could theoretically catch the virus.

Your coworker should cover the shingles with a bandage if he or she is going to be in close contact with other people. When shingles develops, the virus is often present in the person's saliva, so theoretically it could be transmitted by kissing, but it is not known how often this happens. If your coworker is someone you might kiss, I suggest you not do so until the shingles has healed.

The fact that you have diabetes and ulcerative colitis does not change this recommendation. If you take a drug for your ulcerative colitis like steroids, cyclosporine, or infliximab, and you have never before been infected with varicella-zoster virus, it is more important that you avoid touching the coworker's skin. The drugs you are taking suppress your immune system and make you more vulnerable to the virus.