What do the results mean?
If monospot test results were positive, it may mean you or your child has mono. If it was negative, but you or your child still has symptoms, your health care provider will probably order an EBV antibody test.
If your EBV test was negative, it means you don't currently have an EBV infection and were never infected with the virus. A negative result means your symptoms are probably caused by another disorder.
If your EBV test was positive, it means EBV antibodies were found in your blood. The test will also show which types of antibodies were found. This allows your provider to find out whether you were infected recently or in the past.
While there is no cure for mono, you can take steps to relieve symptoms. These include:
Get plenty of rest
Drink lots of fluids
Suck on lozenges or hard candy to soothe a sore throat
Take over-the-counter relievers. But don't give aspirin to children or teens because it may cause Reye syndrome, a serious, sometimes fatal, disease that affects the brain and liver.
Mono usually goes away on its own within a few weeks. Fatigue may last a bit longer. Health care providers recommend children avoid sports for at least a month after symptoms have gone. This helps avoid injury to the spleen, which may be at a higher risk for damage during and just after an active mono infection. If you have questions about your results or treatment for mono, talk to your health care provider.Learn more about laboratory tests, reference ranges, and understanding results.
