Not every plague has a 10 second cool down!

xKappax

Please delete my previous post listed as "undefined" I couldn't change the thread title

Now... I understand that all of us truely enjoy the amazing experience of hearing about new games, finding out great updates to expansions, and getting thousands of great looking merch. But! I will have to say, don't ruin it for the rest of us. I'm sure we all remember last year when the Swine flu or generalize "I feel like death" illness migrated across the entire convention center infecting more then 100 of us.

All in all, please stay home if you're running a fever or have any minor signs of illness.

I'm sure i'll look like one of the dumbest people around caring a belt attachment of hand sanitizer. In the end though, I know I will be healthier then I was last year!

I'm sure a few of you agree?

Wingedillidan

I think most, if not all, PAX forum posters have that knowledge.. and the true people that need to be informed on this, are mostly non-community members.

Then again, there can be a few silly geese on the internet and will turn right around and do everything you said not to.

But yes, your flu + a lot of people = bad. Let's hope this thread doesn't turn into a "throwing soap at people" hygiene thread... ugh...

xKappax

Haha. Yes the hygiene thread is i'm sure what it will soon turn out to be. Though I will make an important note that if you go to a gaming convention then you should expect to be near individuals who have bad B.O. and it shouldn't come as a surprise. All i'm asking is that people don't attend if their sick... seriously... no plagues please.

Steel Fire

Part of your comment there was uncalled for and in poor taste..people's hygiene generally has nothing to do with their choice of hobby.

Moving on...

Begging people not to come if they are sick is nice and all but rather pointless. Hand sanitizer is also great but far from a catch-all preventative as many, many sicknesses are airborne; your opening notation of H1N1 being a prime example (and that was actually Prime 2009)*no pun intended. Numerous attendees will be flying in for PAX and have absolutely no control over what they are exposed to in transit and can still feel fine but be carriers and then the stress and strain of a three day party lets them get sick afterward. We will all also be meandering the streets of downtown Seattle, going to restaurants, bars and stores and/or using public transportation and thereby being exposed to even more whatever-plague. Such is life, drink water and drive on.

LexiconGrrl

xKappax wrote:

I'm sure i'll look like one of the dumbest people around caring a belt attachment of hand sanitizer. ?

My boyfriend caught Nerd Flu the year before last. Now we go armed with MULTIPLE sanitizers: sprays, gels, wipes, portable UV sanitizer, you name it. Touch something? Wipe it fist. Touched something? Spray down! Hold still! Touched someone? Were they crying afterward...?

GamingGoddess

I get sick every year after PAX. No matter what I do. Honestly though, I don't care. The experience of PAX is totally worth it. Sorry, but if I got sick during PAX I would NOT miss a single day. Especially since I don't live in WA.

Sumi

Yeah sorry. I am not going to wait around all year for a single weekend and have a silly flu ruin it. Granted I would probably wear a mask (yeah it looks a bit silly but it's only polite) and use pounds of hand sanitizer, but I still would not let it keep me home.

kropotkin

Oh just wear a full HAZCHEM isolation suit for the entire weekend and you'll be fine. Just say you're coz-playing one of the scientists from 'Splosion Man and no one will bat an eyelid.

Alternatively you could just make sure you eat regular meals, get plenty of sleep and wash your hands on the regular basis. Sanitisers are OK, but are no replacement for soap and water.

cocowoushi

I found taking a multi-vitamin helped power my immune system, if you don't do it already. I know some people knock on hand sanitizer, but chances are you won't be around a sink when you need it, and chances that it has hot water is even less. So many times when I use a public restroom it lacks anything close to lukewarm water.

Anyways don't freak out too much. Most of the bad stuff is air-borne based anyways so having a good immune system is the best bet.

Stupid

GamingGoddess wrote:

I get sick every year after PAX. No matter what I do. Honestly though, I don't care. The experience of PAX is totally worth it.

This is me too. In the past, I've planned things for the weekends following PAX, but I've since learned that this is pointless. I expect this year's labor day weekend to be filled with tissues and chicken soup. Because the chances of me getting through PAX without catching some sort of upper_respiratory_infection are just a bit lower than non-existent.

At least I'll have lots of new games to play while I suffer through cold sweats and a low-grade fever.

ptriz21_teamkill

Don't think that just because you are healthy and clean that you are 100% not responsible for getting people sick. You can carry germs and bacteria that your body is used to or is immune to and others aren't. If you are worried about it, wear a mask. There are always a handful of people that do that at PAX. Sometimes I'm skeptical that its cosplay, but it still works.

And like it was mentioned earlier, eat well, drink water and get plenty of sleep. Or eat when you remember that you haven't eaten in 8 hours, get drunk and get 3 or 4 hours of sleep before doing it again. Come Monday, take a bottle of NOS and some dayquil to work, and chalk it up to having one of the best experiences you can have.

PS Airborne could be smart to take before and each day during PAX to boost your 'munities.

Solelron

there is also a major difference between getting SICK and getting rundown/feeling sick. My wife tries as hard as she can, but every convention we go to by the last day she will look and feel super sick, but she's just totally run down. (we work our Cons hard LOL)