There's a virulent strain of Flu going around, H1N1-2009-1, commonly known as Swine Flu. This in addition to the usual seasonal strain. Flu is something you want to avoid. Even tho the symptoms from these strains have been reported as mild. And there can be serious issues if you have an additional condition.
It's not just Flu we should worry about. There's also Norovirus, Rotavirus and the collection of infectious colds and stomach flus that make up the legion of 'Con Crud'. As well as a lot of other nasty infections you can pick up whenever a large crowd of people gather together for extended time.
So, considering the wide locations people are coming from and will be going back to, how can we avoid people at the con spreading flu or other things.
Wash Your Hands!And by this I don't mean rub soap into them then rinse. Make sure to rub under your finger nails, and around your wrists too. You're going to want to wash your hands a little more often than normal, because of the number of people you'll be shaking hands with or patting on the back. Do not be the idiot who doesn't wash after going to the toilet, and then starts shaking other people's hands.
Hand sanitizer or wipes can substitute a little for washing your hands, if you're in a pinch. It's better than nothing, but a good wash with soap and hot water is always better.
Carry Tissues!Catch sneezes, and coughs into a tissue, not onto someone else. Remember to throw the tissue away into a bin, don't carry dirty tissues around with you.
Be safe handling food, especially other peoples!Yet again, wash your hands. Make sure your hands are clean before you eat.
If you are running a room party, wash your hands before touching anything someone else is going to put in their mouth. (No Sniggering!) Use clean plates, and utensil. Don't reuse things between people, such as glasses, unless you can properly wash or sterilise them first.
Don't leave things that should be refrigerated out for too long before the party. Particularly anything meat or dairy based. Under no circumstances should you serve people pre-cooked meats or dairy that have been unrefrigerated over night! Foods should be properly cooked, and served as soon after cooking as is feasible.
Make it easy for people to take their food without touching others. Ladles and tongs are a good idea!
Remember that it's ultimately up to you to keep your guest's food safe. When you offer someone a candybar, they can ask you if it's okay to ear. They can't ask a table of food if it's safe. So keep checking that table of food is okay. You might want to have someone keep a watch over food if it's a large party, or even handle serving food items. Well meaning people might bypass your keeping the food safe, by noticing the snack bowl is empty, and reaching into the potato chip bag with their hand to refill it.
If you're Ill, avoid people!Even when the symptoms are mild, that's no excuse to 'slug it out' and by doing so spread it on to other people. If you're ill, don't try to struggle on when it's going to make other people ill too. Something that would exclude you from going into work should certainly keep you away from the con.
If you're feeling very ill before the con, remember that spending all your time laying in bed in a small hotel room away from the comforts of home is not going to be worth it. Yes, even if you have non-refundable train or plane tickets; lying in that hotel bed, you won't be thinking "at least I didn't waste the fare," you'll be thinking "I want my cat/tea kettle/partner/own pillow."
Avoid Hangovers!
Hangovers don't only make you feel crappy, they depress your immune system too, making you weaker and more vulnerable to infection. Drink to your limit, and make sure to rehydrate with water or a soft drink afterwards too.
Be Careful about what you Eat!
First of all, remember to eat. Going all day on just breakfast is bad for you. And try to eat healthily, don't over dose on sugars and fats and make yourself feel unwell at the end of the day.
Remember to watch out for the ingredients of what you eat, if you're new to the area, you might not know what's different in the dishes than you expect. Be extra careful when looking out for things you're allergic or intolerant to.
It's a bad thing when you discover that eating a certain kind of food makes you ill, worse when it spoils an entire event for you. If you really want to go with your friends to try out that new seafood dish they told you about, you might want to wait till the tail end of the convention.
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