Re: Mononucleosis
Kip Keil (kip@VSNET.COM)
Mon, 19 Apr 1999 17:43:41 -0600
Phil (and list)
I would suggest that you ask permission of the parents to speak to the pediatrician. Failing that, consult with your own physician. In either case, put all the cards on the table. I.e., all your concerns and youth's physical condition prior to contracting mono and currently. Pose your questions there. Include, of course, the rigorous nature of the Philmont Trek, and
your timetable to get there.
You may find that mono is no longer considered to be threat it was when last you examined this type of issue. Not necessarily that mono has changed, but rather, man's understanding of it may have changed.
I, too, thought mono to be communicable with a degree of ease that would make something like resident camp a problem. The information I recently received indicates it is not so. It is believed (by some physicians, at least) that the reason mono appeared to be so communicable in the past is not that the patient at hand gave the disease to his/her friends so much as the
friends were in the same circumstances as the patient so as to contract the disease via the same mechanism as the patient.
I have also been informed that persons of good health will normally recover fully in four to six weeks.
Please do _not_ take this posting as 'gospel.' If you look at my signature, you'll see I'm a programmer. I deal with an entirely different kind of bug. Please take your concerns to a qualified physician. No answer on this list will put your concerns at rest enough to feel good about including this youth; nor enough 'ammunition' to exclude him over the medical advice
of his own physician.
Kip
Phil Johnson wrote:
> One of the Scouts in our Troop has been diagnosed with mono. This Scout is expecting to attend Philmont this summer in June. The Scout's doctor has told the parents to allow the boy to continue in all of his activities, including baseball, camping and hiking. (Personally, this goes against all I have ever been told of mono, but I am an accountant, not a doctor)
>
> I have two concerns concerning this situation:
>
> 1. If the Scout does not recover fully prior to our leaving for the Philmont trek, I am concerned that he will not make it and either be sent home upon arrival at Philmont when he goes through medical re-check, or is pulled from the trail. I have spoke to the parents, and have been told their doctor has said it was OK for him to continue preparing for Philmont.
>
> 2. Secondly, and most important (to me at least), I am concerned of the other Scouts and adults in our Troop being exposed to and possibly contracting mono from this Scout, if he continues to participate in Troop activities between now and whenever he fully recovers.
>
> The Guide to Safe Scouting address "life threatening" communicable diseases, but is silent (at least as far as I could find) on "communicable diseases."
>
> My question to the list, is there any policy concerning this type of situation? What can we do as leaders to have the parents to keep this Scout away from others in the Troop until he has fully recovered, especially when the doctor says it is OK?
>
> This is a "sticky" situation, and any thoughts or ideas would be greatly appreciated.
>
> YiS
>
> Phil Johnson
> Troop 37
> Iowa Park, TX
--
Kip Keil, Sr. Programmer, V i s i o n N e t
http://www.vsnet.com | http://kip.vsnet.com
MC, Ad Hoc P-3055; MC, Advancement T-1022; MC, Ad Hoc T-175
AA, Ceremonies El-Ku-Ta 520, Great Salt Lake Council, BSA
--We all learn from history . . .
...either by study, or by repetition.
-- Kip Keil, 1998
