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Kiss Off
Facing the Facts and Myths of Mononucleosis
By Kelly Burgess
Tessa Schreiner of Austin, Texas, had mononucleosis four years ago at age 17. At the time, she was looking forward to her second year as a starter on her high school basketball team. Then in September, she contracted mononucleosis. Although her doctor said she would be fine to start the season with the team, she missed virtually all of the practices, and even when she was considered "well," her health problems lingered. According to her father, Charlie, she was still suffering from headaches and insomnia as late as the next spring.
"My older daughter had it when she was in college, but she didn't suffer nearly as much as Tessa," says Charlie Schreiner. "It's just so much harder on kids who are really into sports."
According to Dr. Wald, other than practicing caution in cases where the spleen or liver is swollen, a teenager with mononucleosis can go about their normal activities.
"Casual contact doesn't result in transmission, so from a standpoint of infection, there's no reason to keep them home from school," says Dr. Wald. 
"What they participate in should be a function of how attentive they can be. If they're extremely tired and have a high fever, they should probably stay home; if the symptoms are more mild, there's no reason they can't go to school."