It’s hard to believe it, but finals are just around the corner. That means that participants in our Mono 5 study will soon be coming in for their final visits for the 2007-2008 academic year. We’ll continue to monitor their health over the summer in case anyone comes down with mono, but for the most part we won’t see them again until classes begin for the 2008-2009 academic year.
It’s been an impressive year for the study and we want to send a heartfelt thanks to our Mono 5 study participants. We’ve amassed a small mountain of data as 148 University of Minnesota students have made more than 1,000 clinic visits since the study opened in the fall of 2006. The information we’ve gathered comes in the form of blood samples, oral washes, symptoms and lifestyle surveys that will eventually help us identify risk factors for contracting infectious mononucleosis.
We’re still open for business over the summer, however. We’re still recruiting for our Mono 6 protocol where we offer a new experimental treatment for mono that we hope will have an effect on the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)–the virus that causes mono–and alleviate the symptoms of the illness and help folks feel better, sooner. If you or anyone you know has a very sore throat, swollen or tender neck glands, poor appetite and headache, please call us at 612-625-1462. We want to hear from you.