Recently my boyfriend has been diagnosed with mono. It was a big disappointment for both of us, because we rarely get to see eachother to begin with and we had just planned a trip for me to come down and see him (he lives out of state). I already purchased the tickets to travel down there so I’m going to go, however I’m going to be very cautious not to pick up the virus. Do you have any helpful things I could to do prevent myself from getting mono from him? Also, do you have any idea’s I could do to help him out as much I can so he gets over the sickness as soon as possible? I guess I”m just not very educated about mono and would like to know more about it. So I greatly appreiciate all of you help!

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Dr. Joshua’s Answer:

Mononucleosis is caused by Epstein-Barr Virus. Most of us have had previous contact with the virus and therefore we are not likely to catch it from others. Transmission of the virus requires contact with the infected person’s saliva. However, preventive measures or isolation is not recommended because it is unlikely that you will get symptomatic mononucleosis, even if you kiss your boyfriend. It’s up to you to decide if kissing is worth the small risk! There is no specific treatment for mononucleosis. Just keep him warm and happy, and the illness will resolve in a month or two.?