Con Crud PSA

The staff of AWA has become increasingly concerned about illness resulting from AWA and other conventions. "Con Crud", the "convention flu", call it what you will - more and more congoers are attending conventions and coming home sick. Apart from the obvious public health issues, we're unhappy that AWA is literally making people sick.

In order to combat this menace we've compiled the following list of tips and suggestions. We can't guarantee that following these tips will prevent you from getting sick, but it just might - and if you don't get sick, neither will the person you would have infected, on down the line. Feel free to add your own tips, and copy and paste this list wherever you think it might help. Let's clean up Con Crud!

-If you're sick, stay home. Chills, fever, hacking cough? Stay home and get bed rest. There will be another con next year when you're not infectious. We promise.

-Wash your hands. Before eating, after going to the bathroom, any old time you think about it, wash your hands. While you're at it, keep them away from your face. Especially your mouth.

-Sunlight, fresh air, sleep, meals - you need all these things to ward off illness. Staying up for 48 hours straight while eating nothing but candy bars, that doesn't help your immune system one bit.

-Orange juice. Good for the immune system.

-Go wash your hands. (Lots and lots of con attendees in aclosed environment = Germ Central.)

-Try and keep your to your normal routine as much as you can. (Normal for you, that is. I already know you're not normal.)

-Try to go to bed at your normal time. (Yeah, right.)

-Try to get up at your normal time. (Assuming you've been to bed yet.)

-Try to eat the foods you normally eat (Pocky. It's not what's for breakfast, lunch and dinner.)

-Wash your hands again. (Use soap this time.)

-Drink lots of water. (But not the water you used to wash your hands.)

-If you are on prescription medication, bring it and take it. (Preferably according to the directions on the bottle.)

-Put her down, you don't know where she's been. (No, you can't take her home with you.)

-Wash your hands again while you're at it. (Have you bathed today? That's a form of washing your hands too, you know.)

-Go outside and get some fresh air. (Put that cigarette down, I said _fresh_ air.)

-Don't stress too much. (It's a con. It's _supposed_ to be fun. People pay to do this.)

-Many people have reported good results from taking herbal supplements containing zinc or echinacea, or with preventative supplements such as Airborne. Consider using these before travelling to the convention; it may help boost your immune system and prevent infection. (consult your doctor before taking any supplements, of course).

-Drink plenty of water.

-Eat regularly, and at least one healthy thing every day.

-Cover your coughs and sneezes with your hands. Then go wash your hands!

-If you're over 21, know your limits with alcohol. If you're under 21, don't drink!

-Don't share food or drinks where there is a chance of backwash or exchange of fluids - especially with a stranger or someone who could be sick. Either cut it in pieces or pour it into a seperate glass before drinking out of the bottle.

-Remember to sleep and eat. You're not an immortal being, and your body does require both things in order to survive.

-Wear clean underwear and take a bath. I'm sure your mother didn't raise you to be like a pig.


from D. Merrill, D. Washington, Sarah, Dr. Laura, and Talyrath
http://www.awa-con.com