<p>The best way to avoid it is to avoid the virus iteself by washing hands religiously - especially after shaking hands, using someone else's keyboard, phone, using the bathroom, using doorknobs, etc. and to not share drinks and food (something a lot of college students seem to do). Learn to open doors with an elbow or foot rather than grabbing a handle. Use disinfectant wipes.</p>
<p>There's little evidence any of the Airborne type remedies, vitamin C doses, or herbal supplements will actually help one avoid the virus but it makes people think they're doing something pro-active I suppose.</p>
<p>
[quote]
There's little evidence any of the Airborne type remedies, vitamin C doses, or herbal supplements will actually help one avoid the virus but it makes people think they're doing something pro-active I suppose.
<p>I guess my S is ahead of the game because he's never shared food or drinks without being extremely careful to segregate it in separate containers. Somehow, I can't see him using wipes, becoming a fanatic about handwashing or opening & closing doors with body parts other than his hand. I'm just hoping he is able to keep his body strong enough to resist this infection & the many others he's bound to encounter as part of dorm life. Of course, his docs & I have suggested the sanitation & all the supplements, but seriously doubt they'll be used.) I'm VERY GLAD we got him to have his meningitis/whooping cough vaccine.</p>
<p>So my D room mate has been in the infirmary since Friday with mono. I'm not concerned about my daughter contracting it, but I feel really bad for her room mate since she is from Bejing. Just here from another country and really, really sick. D has been to visit her several times, but doesn't think too many others are visiting as it was just the first full week of classes when she got sick. D says she's very concerned about getting behind at the beginning of the semester. I want to send a care package, but other than chicken soup, do y'all have any suggestions?</p>
<p>Juice bars that can be frozen & canned juices might be nice (hydration is always important). Profs can be pretty understanding, as long as the student explains the situation & the student health center can also send a note. I got an "I" in college when I was now allowed to leave the infirmary because of suspected "mono." They only released me to fly from college to freezing Michigan, to spend the winter holiday with my sister. I made it up shortly after the next term began.</p>
<p>A key point to make with your S is to try to know and get contact info (cell phone, email address) from people in his classes who he can rely on to take notes and inform him of what happened in the class. It's virtually inevitable that he'll get sick or otherwise miss a class for some reason but if he can get notes/assignments from a classmate, he can generally suffer the absence reasonably well.</p>
<p>Yea, that's a strategy that was suggested from the outset, even before he began at the U & something I hope S did set up. He was supposed to meet with each of his instructors in the 1st week of class & talk about how to deal with possible absences. He should do OK because he has many kids from his HS that are in most/all of his classes this semester & I'm pretty sure they'll share with one another.
Hope his room mate has set up his network, in the event he's unable to be in class, since S doesn't have any classes in common with him (roomie studies English while S studies engineering).</p>
<p>Ask him to take zinc and vitamin C tablets. Vitamin C may not be proven to make a difference, but zinc has been. Remind him to sleep enough and to eat healthy at regular times.
This is probably too much to ask of a college student--especially the sleep and diet things--but that's why you should send him along a few bottles of vitamins/zinc tablets and Delsym (OTC cough medication delivered from the Gods...no idea why it's not more famous, I was enlightened when my doctor told me about it...it kills coughs amazingly and is non-drowsy). And some cans of low-fat chicken broth definitely wouldn't hurt. They're perfect drinks for sick kids--pour the stuff into a cup and microwave. Also only 20 cals a can, in case your kid is watching his diet.</p>
<p>OhMother...
I'm a college junior currently sick with mono (although I have had a pretty mild case luckily!) One of the most important things is getting healthy, unprocessed, and protein-rich foods, so a trip to the local healthfood store might give you some ideas. Eating 4-6 small meals is also recommended, so snack foods are a good idea (I have been eating probably 3 full meals and 3-4 snacks for the past week or so. (although I had essentially no appetite at the beginning and didn't want to eat anything)). I recently got a care package with homemade oatmeal cookies, flavored rice cakes, nuts, dried fruit, etc. The best food item I thought was veggie chips (containing carrots, green beans, squash, taro, and sweet potato) ...I do like my veggies, but I think I would have liked them regardless (lots of natural sugars in those veggies). During the sore throat stage, freezy pops were my best friend (the tubes of flavored water that you throw in the freezer)...those would be easy enough to send as long as someone has access to a good freezer on the other end. Powdered drink mixes would probably also be welcome (as long as they can be mixed by the glass/bottle). For chicken noodle soup, consider the single serving size microwave bowls...it's much nicer to not have to do dishes...
Maybe a cheap handheld game would be nice (tetris or something) to do while resting (I am really bad at resting, so I just have my computer right next to my bed and can surf the internet when I'm too tired to be up doing things).
Hopefully once she has gotten over the worst of the cold symptoms she can start returning to classes! Luckily mono isn't contagious through casual contact, so it's possible to do so.</p>
<p>OhMother...
I'm a college junior currently sick with mono (although I have had a pretty mild case luckily!) One of the most important things is getting healthy, unprocessed, and protein-rich foods, so a trip to the local healthfood store might give you some ideas. Eating 4-6 small meals is also recommended, so snack foods are a good idea (I have been eating probably 3 full meals and 3-4 snacks for the past week or so. (although I had essentially no appetite at the beginning and didn't want to eat anything)). I recently got a care package with homemade oatmeal cookies, flavored rice cakes, nuts, dried fruit, etc. The best food item I thought was veggie chips (containing carrots, green beans, squash, taro, and sweet potato) ...I do like my veggies, but I think I would have liked them regardless (lots of natural sugars in those veggies). During the sore throat stage, freezy pops were my best friend (the tubes of flavored water that you throw in the freezer)...those would be easy enough to send as long as someone has access to a good freezer on the other end. Powdered drink mixes would probably also be welcome (as long as they can be mixed by the glass/bottle). For chicken noodle soup, consider the single serving size microwave bowls...it's much nicer to not have to do dishes...
Maybe a cheap handheld game would be nice (tetris or something) to do while resting (I am really bad at resting, so I just have my computer right next to my bed and can surf the internet when I'm too tired to be up doing things).
Hopefully once she has gotten over the worst of the cold symptoms she can start returning to classes! Luckily mono isn't contagious through casual contact, so it's possible to do so.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice, CtheFlute. I happen to have some of the freezy pops here at home and D took a frig with small freezer to campus so I'll mail those out along with some juice boxes, trailmix, pectin throat lozenges (both D and roomie sing, so no menthol cough drops). Hope you are feeling better.</p>
<p>There is ample research that Cold-eeze does shorten colds and lessen severity. You need to start sucking on the lozenges at the first sign of a cold. They say the zinc ions block entry of virus into cells so they can't reproduce. The only time I've had a cold in past five years is when I haven't had access to Cold-eeze. You have to eat though. On an empty stomach it is nauseating.</p>
<p>I guess all kids with roommates should just get in the habit of using hand sanitizer and spraying their rooms with Lysol on a regular basis. (the pink topped Lysol smells nice). Also, be sure to spray things like door knobs and other things that are frequently touched.</p>
<p>It's been years since I've had a cold and I don't use any of the 'remedies' but I'm fairly religious about washing hands, etc. and living in San Diego helps (open windows, fresh air).</p>
<p>I was researching cold eze one night and discovered many negative web sites about another zinc based product, Zicam (gel, spray, swabs) and so I told my kids to make sure they do not use Zicam. Some people claim it destroys sense of smell. Do not know why it is still available especially since a $12 million lawsuit was settled in January.</p>
<p>Time to send out the carepackages, and focus more on the vitamin and cold stuff (cough drops, sprays, Sudafed, herb teas, hand sanitizers etc) than on the cutesy fun gifts!</p>
<p>I completed my middle school and i have to continue it to the high school but there is no enough here, am asking that why should i further my education becos am not having what i want.</p>
<p>Ressurate--you may wish to begin a new thread because this one is about how to remain healthy when your college room mate has a cold & folks might not see your post to respond.
There are many good reasons to continue your education--for one thing, it's required in most states that you go to school through a certain age (usually at least 16 years of age), for another thing, it will help you qualify for more & better jobs than if you drop out sooner which translates to higher wages/salary. Speak with your family, adults you trust, and your counselors.</p>