Monday, August 15, 2011
Dragon Con and the dreaded Con Crud
Con Crud - a slang term for that illness that either hit you at a con or that hits you right after you come home from a con. It is usually caused by non-life-threatening viruses such as a cold, influenza or swine-flu. On more rare occasions, it can also show up as stomach flu.
Con Crud is all about the germs. These germs can be transferred to you via air (sneezing and coughing), direct contact (shaking hands and hugging), indirect contact (touching door handles or stair railings) and the exchange of bodily fluids (sex and kissing).
People have many different ways of trying to minimize their risk of getting and spreading Con Crud.
1) Increase your vitamin intake. Extra everything from one-two weeks before
D*C until the day after you get home.
2) Wash your hands frequently throughout the day. Soap and water are better than
hand sanitizer.
3) Hand sanitizer. It is better than nothing.
4) A daily shower. You will have been exposed to tons of germs. Get them off!
5) Eat well. Take time at the con to eat real meals. Consuming nothing but junk
food will lower your resistance to getting sick.
6) Sleep. Yes you can power through the con on energy drinks but it will weaken
your body and make it easier for you to get sick.
7) Sneeze into your elbow. The chance of someone touching your elbow is
miniscule compared to your hand. At the very least, shield your nose and mouth
with your hands (and then wash them, see rule # 2)
8) Don't share your drinks. This is for safety as well as sanitary reasons.
9) Don't lick the elevator buttons. I know it's tempting, but just say no.
If you are a little more paranoid than most then you might also want to consider…
1) Limit Physical Contact by minimizing hand shaking and giving hugs.
2) Purify the Hotel Room by getting some disinfecting wipes (preferably ones that
claim they can kill the flu virus) and use them to wipe down the common surfaces,
like the door handles, TV remotes and toilet flusher.
I will personally start my Airborne regiment today. While some people believe Airborne is a waste, it has worked for me in the past so I will continue to use it. I will also be diligent about my daily vitamins and I am considering picking up some vitamin C. I have already packed my personal hand sanitizer to carry around with me and the large one that sits on my dresser in the hotel room. Lastly, I will be following the 3-2-1 rule but mine is more like 6-2-1. Six (6) hours of sleep, two (2) decent meals and one (1) daily shower.
If all else fails and you still get Con Crud, I recommend seeing a doctor if it involves a fever, or doesn't clear after 24 hours or so. It is probably more than just the common cold. You could have caught something serious. If you did contract something more serious (i.e. influenza or stomach flu, etc,) at the con, it may be worth alerting your closest con buddies so they have a heads up and can take extra precautions.
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3 comments:
In regards to sharing drinks, I'll testify to the ends of the earth about why you just don't do that.
Back in college, a handful of us were cheap, bought a large Coke, and decided to share it between us. After all, we're friends, it's all good. Well, it turned out that the one friend had mono and wasn't symptomatic yet. Within days, he became symptomatic, and we knew we were all screwed. Every single one of us who had anything to do with that soda got mono.
Being sick for over three months and unable to stay awake for more than ten minutes at a time is a lesson you don't forget. DO NOT SHARE YOUR FOOD OR DRINKS. Mouths are disgusting places.
I had a similar incident in high school. Stupid kids being cute and sharing a lollipop. Within the week, all of us had mono. Missed all my finals that quarter. And I was amazed how freakin' tired I was for months after having mono. Why is that? I must do some research.
Con Crud is the worst! I hate it. I've had it. Always practice Safe Conning!
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