However, coughing or other contact with infected saliva can also pass it from one person to another. The mono virus can stay active in a person weeks or months after all overt symptoms are gone, so close contact with someone who shows no sign of the disease can still put a person at risk. On the other hand, not everyone who lives in proximity to an individual infected with mono comes down with the illness. Scientists believe that a healthy immune system may make it possible to fight off the infection successfully. Treatment Mononucleosis is usually a self-limiting illness.
Most people recover on their own without any treatment within two weeks.
Thus, the primary prescription for mono by both conventional and alternative practitioners is complete bed rest with a gradual return to normal activity. Because the spleen is often enlarged and, as a result, at a greater risk of rupture, contact sports, such as football and soccer, should be avoided for at least several weeks. In addition to bed rest, your doctor may prescribe aspirin or acetaminophen for the fever, sore throat and other discomforts of the illness. Because of possible liver involvement, check with your doctor about using acetaminophen. Similarly, if you have a rash, consult your doctor about aspirin use.