I snogged a stranger on a night out and ended up in hospital on an IV drip: Self-confessed ‘party girl’ warns clubbers of dangers of the ‘kissing disease’

By William On Jun 28, 2024

A self-confessed ‘party girl’ who kissed a random guy in a bar during a night out has been hospitalised after contracting ‘kissing disease’ – and says it ‘ruined’ her graduation.

Singleton Neve McRavey required an IV drip after going out with friends earlier this month to celebrate completing her degree at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.

After meeting a random man at the bar, the 22-year-old journalism graduate says the pair shared an innocent kiss on the dance floor and thought nothing of it.

It wasn’t until she woke up the next morning with a sore throat that she realized something was wrong. She thought it was tonsillitis.

Neve said her symptoms worsened over the next 24 hours and when she began gagging on her own saliva, she visited her GP who prescribed antibiotics.

Singleton Neve McRavey had been out with friends earlier this month to celebrate graduating from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.

The self-confessed ‘party girl’ says she was hospitalized after contracting ‘kissing disease’ from making out with random men in bars on a night out

The 22-year-old journalism graduate needed an IV to treat her illness while she was in hospital

But when the medicine didn’t work, she went to hospital where she was diagnosed with glandular fever and given an IV to rehydrate her.

Ever since she kissed a stranger in a bar, Neve has been almost confined to bed and has trouble leaving the house.

What is glandular fever?

This disease, also called ‘kissing disease’ because of its spread through saliva, is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV).

In the US it is also called mono, short for mononucleosis.

What is it?

A viral infection caused by EBV.

How does it spread?

Usually by exchanging saliva with an infected person. This can be done by kissing or sharing cups or cutlery, but young children can also get it by sharing toys.

People are usually contagious several weeks before the onset of symptoms.

What are the symptoms?

Common symptoms include:

a high temperature (fever)
a severe sore throat
swollen glands in the neck
fatigue (extreme tiredness)

Are there any long-term risks?

Symptoms usually disappear after two to three weeks, but there have been cases where fatigue can last up to seven months.

The virus behind glandular fever is suspected of triggering the onset of MS, although the exact mechanisms of this interaction are not understood. However, only a small proportion of people who have glandular fever actually develop MS.

There have also been studies linking EBV infection to increasing the risks of certain cancers.

She even admitted that glandular fever “ruined” her graduation on Wednesday, as her symptoms kept her from celebrating with friends and family.

Neve, who has been single since March, is now warning other singles to be careful who they kiss on a night out to ensure they don’t suffer the same fate as her.

Neve, from Glasgow, Scotland, said: ‘It’s called the kissing disease. When I heard about it, I felt so much regret.

‘I’ve been single since March. I go out with the girls every weekend, dancing and having fun.

‘Every now and then I would meet a guy at the bar and start talking and kissing on the dance floor.

‘The first few weekends of June I was out celebrating the submission of my dissertation. I got a 2.1 and was celebrating all the hard work.

‘Sunday I woke up with a strange throat. I am quite prone to tonsillitis, so I thought this was it at first.

‘On Monday morning I woke up and I couldn’t even swallow my own saliva and I was gagging.

‘I was very sick, so I went to the doctors and they thought it was tonsillitis, so they gave me antibiotics.

‘The antibiotics didn’t work and I continued to feel worse. I had a very high fever, swollen glands, I was sweating profusely and vomiting and I was so weak that I could not walk properly.

‘I went back to the doctors a few times and they tried to give me more medicine but nothing helped. I then went to the hospital and it turned out to be glandular fever.

When you’re drunk and single, you don’t think about it [kissing a random person] and it’s just kind of fun.

‘It’s been over three weeks now and I’ve spent almost a month of my life in bed and in hospital just because I kissed someone in a bar.

“I didn’t really have the graduation I wanted. All I could do was walk across the stage, take my photos and then go back to sleep.

‘I had booked a lovely dinner with my family, and then my friends and I had booked tables everywhere for a great night out.’

According to the NHS, glandular fever is a viral infection that mainly affects teenagers and young adults and includes symptoms such as sore throat and extreme tiredness.

Neve became bedridden after contracting mononucleosis when she kissed a stranger at a club

The infection may clear up without treatment, but it can persist for weeks and make you feel very ill.

Neve said that due to her “weak” immune system, her body struggles to fight the infection and it could take weeks for her to get better.

She now advises other single people to take ‘personal responsibility’ and not kiss when they go out if they are unwell themselves.

Neve, who graduated in English literature and journalism, said: ‘I think it’s part of our culture when you’re young to go out and have a nice evening and sometimes that includes kissing.

‘In the lyrics it’s glorified to go kiss boys and have fun. I was all about it and was a party girl.

‘I think now that everything has happened I will be much more selective [with whom I kiss].

‘I also feel there is a certain personal responsibility. Because I am sick, I would not kiss anyone for a long time, but the boy who kissed me apparently knew he had been sick recently, but he didn’t really care.

‘If that boy had glandular fever, he was probably sick for a week and didn’t think anything about it.

‘But because I have a weak immune system, I was completely devastated and one of the most special moments of my life was ruined: my graduation.’