Mono, scabies, and maybe talk a bit before hookingup with someone! by Emma Fernadez Polcuch

I hate to break it to the 5% of people on campus who aren’t aware of the frequent scabies epidemics and mono outbreaks, but, sadly, they do exist. For many reasons, people try to keep their symptoms on the down-low, causing outbreaks of these diseases on campus. This is a part of living on a campus where hooking up is as easy as it gets (but, hey, it's okay if this isn’t the case for you). It is due to the uneven gender ratio, the relatively short walks of shame, being fresh out of school and horny, and the sheer enthusiasm of living by yourself (though I guess not for the first-years who were put in double rooms). Campus must be the scabies mites’ favorite hook-up spot. This is why I decided to do a little bit of research, as the medical sciences major I am, to pretend that I can teach about health as if I were a doctor. The keyword here is “pretend,” so please go to a real doctor if you experience anything unusual in your health.

First, let me explain what these diseases are. Mononucleosis, more commonly known as mono, or the “kissing disease,” is caused by a virus that spreads through saliva (so, yeah, usually if you get freaky). It can also be spread by sharing food, utensils, and cups. It's usually resolved without medication as your immune system fights it off after some suffering, but it can also cause serious complications. This is why it is not really fun to get it, but according to what I've found out, plenty of people are getting mono on this campus…

Campus must be the scabies mites' favourite hook up spot.

A main issue is that mono symptoms actually take multiple weeks to show. It has an incubation period of 4 to 6 weeks, so you can still be contagious while showing mild or no symptoms, and even in the few weeks after you experience major symptoms. Basically, people end up spreading mono without even knowing it. This is hard to avoid, but if you've already been diagnosed with it, I guess the best thing to do would be to tell your roster instead of hiding in the shadows (also tell your unitmates and friends! Please!). Having mono can have you hospitalised or out of class for a few weeks if you're unlucky, or if you have a weak immune system. So, let's try to take care of ourselves before risking the participation grade. 

The main symptoms to look out for are fatigue, sore throat, fever, swollen lymph nodes (around your body), swollen armpits, swollen tonsils (inside your mouth), headaches, and skin rashes. If you do get these symptoms, seeing a doctor is important, as they can give you an actual diagnosis and help you treat it. Some of these symptoms can also be caused by other things, so don’t be out there self-diagnosing.

So let's try and take care of ourselves before risking the participation grade.

Scabies is a little funnier in my opinion. It's caused by these mites that crawl under your skin, forming burrows and making you really itchy. It's not that funny when you get it, though, because it’s painful as fuck. You also have to clean all your clothes and sheets since the mites can survive on fabrics for around 3 days. Hence, this is your warning that if you see someone holding garbage bags full of clothes and doing the laundry of their whole bloodline, there may be a chance they have scabies. That said, it mainly spreads through skin-to-skin touch, and can happen pretty fast, so you have to get kinda silly to get it from someone, I guess ;). 

Scabies appear on the body as red dots or bumpy lines, which can show up darker on dark skin. These raised spots, lines, or rashes can show up anywhere on your body, but especially between your fingers. The disease can also affect people with a lowered immune system more harshly, so we should all make an effort to keep this from happening. 

Treatment for scabies is simpler than for mono, as there are creams and medications that can be used to get rid of it. These can be found at shops like Etos or Kruidvat and at pharmacies. It’s also important to get treatment if you were in close contact with someone with symptoms, possibly including your unitmates, close friends, or, once again, your roster. Symptoms of scabies can present up to six weeks after exposure if you’ve never had it before, and if you have, they will take a few days to show. Rashes and itching can be caused by other things too, so, to be sure, it’s still important to see your GP.

What’s crazy at UCU is not how the diseases spread, but how the word does. Perhaps right now I’m contributing to the gossip chain, but it is kind of funny how we go from talking about how many pages of readings we’re not gonna do, to the chain of hookups that led to someone getting scabies or mono. Instead, in my opinion, we should focus on how we can avoid it and get to know people (and their symptom history) a bit before we get close to them, rather than start yapping about our hookups after the fact. Or do both, but, in any case, stay healthy.