When you enter a con you often get caught up in the sights and sounds. But there is one sound no one wants to hear; a cough. Whether you call it con plague, con flu, or con crud, we all know and hate the sickness that tends to spread around cons. In reality, it is a simple cold con-goers get from overexerting and not taking care of themselves. But it spreads like a plague. Here’s how to avoid it and avoid spreading it.
How to Avoid It
Vitamins
When you arrive at the con, be sure to have taken your vitamins. This means anything you usually take plus Vitamin C and Alpha Lopic Acids. Take as much as you like. Because these are supplements, your body will naturally get rid of what you don’t need.
Wash Your Hands
There’s a reason cons have lots of bathrooms; so you can use them. After touching merch, going to a panel, the console room, clean yourself up After being anywhere you were near a lot of people or touching a lot of things, wash your hands. This is basic hygiene that can prevent you from getting sick.
Anti-Dust Masks
Do you know what they sell a lot of at cons? Anti dust masks! Wearing one of these will prevent you from inhaling any germs that float through the air. If you don’t already own one you can buy a pack of disposable ones at a local pharmacy.
Basic Self Care
(This has been covered in a previous article.) In general, take care of yourself. Eat three healthy meals a day. Get a good nights sleep. Take breaks when walking around. It seems like common sense but, in the excitement of being at a convention, you’ll be tempted to overexert yourself.
If You Contract the Plague
Medicine
Pack your favorite cold killing medicine and take it. The plague won’t go away just because you put some extra honey in your morning tea. Pack a lot of it because if you’re sick, you may have spread it to your hotel roommates. Let them take a dose just in case.
Rest
You didn’t come to a con to sleep in the hotel room. But if you’re sick, you really should. You don’t have to skip out on the entire day but, when the group decides to head out to that late night panel, call it quits and go to bed early.
Hands Off the Merchandise
You are sick. The number one way you can spread the plague you carry is by touching the merch other attendees will be touching. (If you don’t want to get the plague, don’t touch anything either). In the event you must touch a piece of merch, do it right after you wash and dry your hands or use hand sanitizer.
Trash
As a sick person, you’ll be making a lot of trash. Whether it’s used tissues or cough drop wrappers, get it in the trash bin ASAP. Until then, keep it in your pocket, bag, or simply away from where other people may touch it. Again, this will stop the spread of germs.
Having con plague sucks. You want to have a good time but your body wants to sleep. Compromise, and do a little bit of both. Your fellow con-goers will thank you.