Winter in the Midwest means cold temperatures, extra layers, and the spreading of sickness, the most feared of which is the Epstein-Barr virus, also known as mononucleosis.
Mono is a virus which is spread through the nose and mouth. According to school nurse Colleen Sheridan, 90 percent of people get it at some point in their lives, but when many teenagers get it for the first time it can be more severe.
“It’s common that many high school students get it. They are so active, around many other people everyday, and sometimes they just don’t get enough sleep,” Sheridan said.
Mono hit senior Celine Oberholzer especially hard. Although she hasn’t missed any school, she has had it for three months, and the virus has affected her daily life.
“I’m a serious dancer, and I can’t do ballet because I just don’t have the energy to do it. It’s especially unfortunate because I have ballet auditions in January that I’m not as nearly prepared for as I’d like to be,” said Oberholzer.
Oberholzer continued, “It’s especially unfortunate for seniors that had it over the fall, because that is the prime college application time, and if you have a serious case of mono you just want to lay in bed and not do anything.”
Junior Caroline Holling also had a severe case of the virus. She missed school for one and a half weeks in September and was still infected through October.
“I first noticed it when I got really tired from walking up the stairs at school. I was also just out of it and tired, but I thought it was from school starting and me getting back into the swing of things. Later I had difficulty swallowing and I got really puffy eyes, and I realized something was wrong, ” Holling said.
Holling’s experience was unique in the sense that she had it in the beginning of the school year. Holling said, “My teachers were nice and willing to work with me, but it was just a bit strange because it was the beginning of the year and I hardly knew them.”
Both Holling and Oberholzer used the nurse’s office to their advantage. Sheridan said, “We can’t really treat mono, but we certainly allow students who have it to come in here whenever and relax and take a nap if they need to.”
According to Sheridan, students with mono should spend as much time at home as they need and then come back to school gradually.
Recovery from mono is not as simple as recovering from a common cold. Sheridan said, “The average case takes about 4-6 weeks for the person to feel fully healthy, but every case is different, so every recovery time is different.”
According to Sheridan, some common symptoms are exhaustion, sore throat and a stomach ache. Junior Lukas Trieb had many of these symptoms.
“I felt really sick for 10 days. I missed 5 days of school right before Thanksgiving,” Trieb said. “I thought at first I had strep throat, but when the tests came back negative my doctor thought mono was a possibility and I ended up having it all along. My throat hurt so badly, I couldn’t eat and swallow for a couple of days. My voice went up 3 pitches, as well.”
According to Trieb he also lost 10 pounds during the whole experience.
According to Sheridan, the mono virus is very unique and can vary from person to person.
She recommends getting 7-8 hours of sleep every night to try to avoid getting mono or getting sick in general. Sheridan explained, “The average age for mono is 15-24. It is very common in college students, especially freshman, because they are living in very close quarters for the first time, and interacting with many new people, which means they are interacting with a new set of germs.”
As with all sicknesses, prevention is vital. Sheridan said, “Don’t share drinks and straws because the virus lives in the mouth, or have contact with sick people. If you are sick, don’t come to school. Stay home and get well.”