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Short answer What to do Getting around while sick at MIT Living situation at MIT Care near MIT When to get help right away Common questions from students Common questions Related questions SourcesYou can often keep going to class with mono if you can manage the fatigue, but avoid contact sports and heavy lifting for about 4 weeks.
Mono causes deep tiredness, sore throat and swollen glands. It rarely needs more than rest, fluids and time.
What to do
- Rest and drink fluids
- Ask about extended exams or deadlines if you are too tired to study
- Skip contact sports and heavy lifting for about 4 weeks, until a clinician says it is safe
- Do not share drinks or kiss until you have recovered
Getting around while sick at MIT
MIT runs on problem sets and lab hours, so the question is often whether to push through or rest.
You may be riding the Red Line at Kendall/MIT. You can use the T if you feel up to it, but heavy fatigue is common, so go easy.
Living situation at MIT
MIT undergraduates live in dorms and in fraternities, sororities and independent living groups, so illness can move through a floor or house quickly. Do not share drinks or utensils, and skip contact sports and heavy lifting for about 4 weeks.
Care near MIT
Your first stop is usually MIT Medical. Call or check its website for hours and how to be seen. For emergencies, Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge or a Boston hospital across the Charles River or call 911. Pymander is free to text and is not affiliated with MIT. It is a medical AI, not a licensed doctor.
When to get help right away
Trouble breathing, chest pain, confusion, a stiff neck with fever, or being unable to keep fluids down are reasons to go to urgent care or the ER, or call 911.
Common questions from students
Can I ride the Red Line with mono? You can use the T if you feel up to it, but heavy fatigue is common, so go easy.
What should I tell my roommates at MIT? Do not share drinks or utensils, and skip contact sports and heavy lifting for about 4 weeks.
Should I tell my professor at MIT? If you will miss class or an exam, email your professor and ask your campus health center for a note if you need one.
Is it a real doctor? No. It is a medical AI system, not a licensed doctor. In an emergency, call 911.
Common questions
Mono at MIT: can I stay in class?
You can often keep going to class with mono if you can manage the fatigue, but avoid contact sports and heavy lifting for about 4 weeks. Mono causes deep tiredness, sore throat and swollen glands. It rarely needs more than rest, fluids and time.
Can I ride the Red Line with mono?
You can use the T if you feel up to it, but heavy fatigue is common, so go easy.
What should I tell my roommates at MIT?
Do not share drinks or utensils, and skip contact sports and heavy lifting for about 4 weeks.
Should I tell my professor at MIT?
If you will miss class or an exam, email your professor and ask your campus health center for a note if you need one.
Is it a real doctor?
No. It is a medical AI system, not a licensed doctor. In an emergency, call 911.