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| The Boy before the Con Flu struck... |
So you may have noticed that my posts have been thin on
the ground over the last week. This is because we have been a house full of con
flu, a particularly nasty strain which left The Boy a delirious and
hallucinating puddle of sweat and which forced me to play nurse for a week
mopping his fevered brow.
I put it down to travelling to London in freezing
temperatures, being sneezed on by grotty commuters and even the unsanitary
conditions found on the tube. That was until the tweets and updates started
flooding in online about a LSCC convention goers dropping like flies.
I'd heard the rumours of this mysterious “con flu” that strikes geeks when they amass but hadn’t paid them
much mind – after all I have been to many gigs, festivals and events without
getting so much as a sniffle. Yet after this past week I’m seriously considering
attending future conventions cosplaying as an extra from Outbreak complete with
fully functional biosuit!
So what makes Conventions so susceptible to outbreaks of
the lurgy and how can we avoid catching it without having to adopt some kind
of Comic Con OCD?
Why does the flu spread like wildfire at conventions?
According to the CDC, flu can be spread from up to six feet away by droplets made by coughing sneezing and talking. You can inhale these directly or you can touch a surface that they have landed on and then touch your mouth, eyes or nose and infect yourself.
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| Pittsburgh Comic Convention |
With so many people in such a small area all talking and touching and looking at things, no wonder cons are such a hotbed of ickiness!
So obviously if someone sneezes in your face (yes I'm talking to you Mr Commuter with no manners) have a pretty strong chance of catching what they've got. But worse, the flu virus is contagious for a full day BEFORE symptoms start, so you could be happily chatting away to someone who seems healthy enough and still get the flu from them! It's almost enough to make you avoid all human contact entirely!
DON'T WORRY! Even though it's pretty easy to catch flu there are some simple steps you can take to keep healthy.
Staying Flu Free
According to the NHS, the flu vaccine is a
good to keep the germs at bay. You can
get yourself a free jab if you are over 65, pregnant or have a chronic health
condition such as asthma, diabetes or HIV. If you’re not eligible for a free vaccination
you can always book in to your local pharmacy and pay to have the jab. Although
it’s not 100% foolproof and depends entirely on what strains you come into
contact with, I recommend giving it a try.
The 12 months after I had it through work was a flu free zone!
If needles aren’t your thing there are other simple
measures you can take to minimise your risks of having flu spoil your Con
experience.
Practicing basic hygiene such as washing your hands
sounds like a no-brainer but very few of us do it right or enough.
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| How to wash your hands |
Make sure you wash your hands after using the
bathroom or touching anything icky, like a Stallone-style Dredd or an over
enthusiastic Swamp Thing.
And don’t forget to wash your hands before you eat!
It’s also
a good idea to avoid touching your face, particularly your nose and eyes –
these are easy access points for any virus or bacteria and I’m darned if we’re
going to give the little suckers a head start!
What to do if you get Con Flu?
If you
are unlucky enough to get struck down then follow my super life saving advice
and you’ll back on your feet in no time!
- Drink lots of fluids
- Take paracetamol to keep your fever down
- Rest up
- Cold flannels and lukewarm baths can get that fever down
- Drink 100% pineapple juice for sore throats (it’ll hurt but it’ll kill those germs!)
- Have hot tea with honey to soothe your throat and chest
Just whatever you do, for the love of god, DO NOT COUGH ON ME!
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