Con Crud : simple as hell to avoid .. yet..

I also highly recommend Cold Eeze...they're little cough drop like things. Not too pleasent a taste but not too awful either. Since taking one a day during conventions, starting the day before the convention, I have managed to avoid the con crud.

Also, they sell now tiny little bottles of hand sanitizer, for those times when soap and water is just not available. Very conveniant.

frankenshoe.com

And a note on handwashing. Many folks have a tendency to stick their hands under the water and think they're done. Here's how to wash your hands so it actually stops the spread of germs.

Take off any rings and your watch or bracelets. Germs can hide and breed under the edges, since they'll trap moisture.

Use soap.

Rub your hands together vigorously to get visible lather. Soap without scrubbing can't do its job.

Wash between your fingers and up over your wrists.

Wash for 30 seconds. How long is that? Sing a short song or nursery rhyme like Happy Birthday, Row-row-your-boat or Pop Goes the Weasel (in your head), twice. That'll work out to about 30 seconds.

Use your wrists to turn the water off. (I think many of the convention center sinks are motion activated. Even better!)

Dry your hands. Retrieve your jewelry. If the bathroom has a door you need to pull open, you may want to use a sleeve to open it. Not everybody else washed their hands!

Be sure to wipe off your jewelry, watch, and other items at least once a day. Be particularly careful of cellphones which practically nobody ever remembers to wipe down.

Canadians don't get sick!

I've never had a single virus make it's way in past the ice shield of my igloo.

One tip though to help keep cold virus' out of your igloo? Mix in some maple syrup with the ice and then once you have a solid structure with your igloo, load up an outer layer of back bacon on it.

If you live in Newfoundland however, you always wanna make sure you remove a layer of permafrost, so that way you'll be able to dig for squid easily.

Personally I do 8 hours of sleep a day, two meals and a midday snack, and a shower both before I go to bed and after. 6 hours of sleep really isn't enough to be 100% yourself, two meals and a snack helps keep a normal metabolism and energy levels up, and showering at the end of the day is both refreshing and helps for all the reasons Mapdark already listed. As for the mornings, it's always a good start to shower in the morning, and well, hotel sheets are infamous for a reason...

Moving on. As for keeping healthy, make sure your diet contiains proper nutrients. A daily Centrum can help. And there's new products on the shelves these days that dramatically help your immune system. One such example is "Air shield". Just visit your local pharmacy and find the appropriate section for some good stuff. Also check out the diet section for a nutritional drink called "Boost". It actually tastes pretty good and it comes in an immune-boosting forumla too. Although that alone isn't as good as "Air Shield", it would make a good morning or midday snack.

As for meals, remember to eat substantial stuff that isn't junk. Potato chips, candy, fast food, and anything like that will sap your energy and probably still leave you feeling hungry later. There is plenty to eat VERY close to the Westin, so you have no excuse for not getting a decent meal. Personally I eat a light snack when I first wake up (nothing heavy to weigh me down). For me, that is generally a nutri-grain bar and a Boost. It's healthy and gives my stomach enough to do for a short while. Lunch is slightly heavier with whatever decent food I can scrape up (Subway is my destination of choice), then a decent sized dinner.

I should echo what Fenrislorsrai has said about handwashing and add a few points. Remember to use warm-hot water, and get under your nails by sliding your fingertips across your palm. And scrub *thoroughly*. Top of hands, bottom, between your fingers, and up to your wrists. And to turn off the water, it is highly recommended that you use a *dry* paper towel after you've already dried your hands. Touching the faucet with any exposed skin will negate your previous handwashing since the viruses and bacteria are then reintroduced onto your skin and they will work their black magic from there.

It's generally a good idea in life to carry around one or two napkins or tissues with you wherever you go in case you do sneeze and its...unfortunately messy. Plus you never know what else you might run into while running around, so you should always carry a few tissues.

Hand sanitizer that you carry around is not going to help you nearly as much as you think. Unless your immunse system is compromised due to advanced HIV disease, bone marrow, or kidney transplant, bacteria floating around are the least of your worries. Viruses are the problem and for the most part aren't effected by sanitizer. Ergo, again, it's all about handwashing, covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze, and keeping your distance from people who are visibly sick.

Thus far I've managed to stay healthy through two Anthrocons. Got sick at last FC, but I couldn't help someone walking onto the elevator and coughing right on me.

-There is no truth

Is more important that "sneeze and shield", is clean hands after go to WC, because con crud is a gastroenterical affection, and is most probable that you can be infected by eat that for a sneeze, however obviously we must have a good higienic-behavior, (only for be healthy)...
=3 =3

I don't think "The Dorsai Irregulars" will be thrilled about having to open a special medical ward for sick furs.

--- Begin Ranting Sequence ---

It's common-sense to prevent the spread of infection to yourself, and quite possibly onto others. Washing your paws frequently will most definitely decrease your chances of contracting something viral, being that such appendages are proven to be the dirtiest parts of your body at any given time. As other users on this forum pointed out; maintaining a balanced diet, healthy amount of sleep, and bathing at least once-a-day helps keeps those icky germs away. It's a little disappointing that some people simply cannot understand these basic principals to keep themselves clean and healthy, yet this is why such threads exist.

Spreading awareness is the best kind of defense, while soaps and sanitizers only enforce cleanliness! I say, let's band together, my fellow furs! Together - with our superior weaponry of antiseptic sprays, vast boxes of Kleenex©, and a warehouse supply of liquid soap; we shall stand firm, and defend our brethren against the forces of... sickness!!!

--- End Ranting Sequence---

Meh, sorry about that, folks. I had nothing better to do on this hour than make some crude humor. Still, it's not that difficult to keep one self from infection. Sure, there are some situations where you cannot guard yourself against such pathogens, but it never hurts to take some degree of care. Nobody - including myself, enjoys getting sick. Personally, I have a naturally strong immune system, all of my vaccinations are U.T.D. (Up-To-Date), and I drink plenty of fluids with a daily vitamin; I rarely get sick - maybe once out of a given year, yet during that -ONE- time I get sick... I -REALLY- get sick. If you do somehow catch something, at least take some precautions to prevent a wide-scale spread. I'm not trying to dictate what others should do, but I'm only point these things out.

~Zander Stealthpaw

Odly enough I went to AC06 with a slight cold, and went home in perfect health.

As for preventing illness, I now use an essential oil blend called Thieves. It was developed from a recipe taken from the tombs of thiefs that robbed the bodies of the dead, and dying during the black plauge. They died of old age, and not the plague. When the blend was submited for clinical testing it scored better than both {Amoxicillin, and Amphicillin}spelling errors, against airborn pathogens. Boasting a 99.9% kill rate on most common bacteria. The company that makes it also puts it in soap, and other sanitizer products. If you want info on it message me.