Random kisses. Beirut games. Keg cups. When all is said and done, many students have no idea who they’ve “swapped spit” with on those crazy late nights at Fairfield University after a typical college weekend.
Mononucleosis, also referred to as “Mono” or “the kissing disease,” is a serious threat to college students. Mono is spread through direct contact with virus-filled saliva, mainly through kissing.
Caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, Mono surfaces symptoms such as a fever, sore throat and swollen glands.
But don’t be fooled, Mono is no cold.
“I wouldn’t wish Mono on my worst enemy,” said Michaela Chatel, ’05. Chatel came down with Mono her freshman year in college.
Signs of Mono usually develop 4 to 7 weeks after you’re exposed to the virus. Chatel thought that she simply had a routine cold. Then, it struck. Chatel couldn’t speak, and she had a sore throat and swollen glands. Her doctor tested her for Mono the next day.
Chatel was diagnosed with an intermediate case of Mono, and was told that all she could do was let the virus run its terrible course.
Chatel was sent home from school for a week, and arrived back at Fairfield University 15 pounds lighter. She was happy to later find out that people generally only get Mono once.
Hollywood diets, watch out. This virus sounds like an even better one-time diet plan, right? Wrong.
Along with the teachers’ complaints focusing on missed schoolwork, victims of the virus also can’t drink alcohol for fear of rupturing their liver or spleen.
Great, you must be thinking. Not only am I a mess, but there is no solace. The only remedy for Mono is serious rest and relaxation.
Could Fairfield University be a breeding ground for this virus? The incidence peaks in the 15-24 age group; after age 35, the rate is low. Fairfield is filled with a heavy amount of students driven by what’s “below the belt,” or hormones. That makes it one of the perfect place for the lip-locking virus, Mono, to spread.
“There were 51 reported cases of Mono last year, and so far this year 30 students have already come down with the virus. Many of these cases are diagnosed at the students’ homes,” said a health center official.
Since Mono is not generally spread through the air, a person who has Mono does not need to be isolated. College roommates have only a slight risk of being infected unless they swap spit with their roommates.
The best bet is to stay away from random kisses, to not use dirty keg cups (even when you’re drunk), and finally, change those disgusting beirut cups before you begin to play.
After all, you never know whose saliva your swallowing during an “average” college weekend.
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