Author Topic: The Annual Battle Against Con Crud  (Read 4521 times)

Offline angoradebs

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Re: The Annual Battle Against Con Crud
« Reply #15 on: June 15, 2019, 08:14:42 AM »
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When I get on the plane, I wipe down my seat, tray table, seatbelt buckle - basically anything I’ll touch - with antibacterial wipes. I get some weird looks but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ It’s a small price to pay to the con gods.


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I do this every time I get on a plane, too!. Also, make sure to get the back of the seat in front of you, the part that the tray table touches when it's not down.

Offline Devorah

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Re: The Annual Battle Against Con Crud
« Reply #16 on: June 15, 2019, 10:38:20 AM »
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I do this every time I get on a plane, too!. Also, make sure to get the back of the seat in front of you, the part that the tray table touches when it's not down.

Yes! I do all non-fabric surfaces. :)

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Re: The Annual Battle Against Con Crud
« Reply #17 on: Today at 10:32:02 AM »

Offline Chris

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Re: The Annual Battle Against Con Crud
« Reply #17 on: June 15, 2019, 03:47:15 PM »
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Five minutes ago someone started hacking up a lung in my office.  I popped in an Emergen-C tab, drowned myself in antibacterial hand gel, and sprayed every surface with disinfectant spray.  Overkill? You betcha.  But I will NOT be the cause of other people's Con Crud.  I won't be bringing my coworkers icky germs with me to con.

That said, I'm also preparing my game plan for the con itself.  I got the Emergen-C to take during the con to boost my immune system.  I also got some pocket anti bacterial hand gels and a packet of portable hand wipes.

What's your battle plan against the crud?

Basically, I do anything that Sheldon would do to avoid being sick.  People make fun of me for it, but I've been sick like 3 times in 15 years so i stand by my track record.  :)

Offline ripresa

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Re: The Annual Battle Against Con Crud
« Reply #18 on: June 16, 2019, 07:36:47 PM »
Oil of Oregano!

Offline dkd

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Re: The Annual Battle Against Con Crud
« Reply #19 on: June 17, 2019, 07:19:24 AM »
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Five minutes ago someone started hacking up a lung in my office.  I popped in an Emergen-C tab, drowned myself in antibacterial hand gel, and sprayed every surface with disinfectant spray.  Overkill? You betcha.  But I will NOT be the cause of other people's Con Crud.  I won't be bringing my coworkers icky germs with me to con.

What's your battle plan against the crud?

Nothing.

I've never gotten "con crud" in the eighteen straight years of attending.  So, I must be doing something right.

I'm from NY and ride the subway/train constantly.  While I will admit, I've caught something on other trips, I've never caught anything in San Diego.

While taking Emergenc-C can help your immune system, I believe excessive use of anti-bacterial gels actually does the opposite.

Also, there's a possible mis-interpretation that a person who still has a cough after a cold is still contagious.  If your "con crud" is the common cold, a person is contagious for a few days BEFORE any symptoms are shown and five to seven days afterward.  But, a cough can last longer than that, past when the virus is gone.
« Last Edit: June 17, 2019, 07:27:24 AM by dkd »

Offline Angel_

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Re: The Annual Battle Against Con Crud
« Reply #20 on: June 17, 2019, 09:13:37 AM »
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Oil of Oregano!

Never heard of this one before! I’ll look into it.

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I'm from NY and ride the subway/train constantly.

Sounds like your immune system has been built up a lot. That’s super cool for you! Unfortunately not everyone gets exposed to germs that frequently to have a tough immune system.  I gotta prepare. 



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Offline dkd

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Re: The Annual Battle Against Con Crud
« Reply #21 on: June 17, 2019, 12:59:51 PM »
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Never heard of this one before! I’ll look into it.

Sounds like your immune system has been built up a lot. That’s super cool for you! Unfortunately not everyone gets exposed to germs that frequently to have a tough immune system.  I gotta prepare. 

Keep in mind that even if you caught a cold today, you would no longer be contagious by the time the convention comes around.  It's still a month away. 

Some people say that the rampant allergies among young people is partially caused by hyper-sanitized environments.  People have to be exposed to things to become immune to them.

I did catch a cold on my trip to the ATX Festival in Austin last week.  For some reason, I often catch something in Austin, but never in San Diego.  Maybe it's the Spring timing.  But, I'm getting over it already.  It will probably help my immunity from here on out.

Here's an article about the Immune System that is very interesting:

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It says that adrenaline can weaken the immune system.  This makes me theorize that maybe the excitement that some people get out of SDCC--the adrenaline rush--is partially responsible for con crud.  I don't know.  Just a thought.

Offline Angel_

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Re: The Annual Battle Against Con Crud
« Reply #22 on: June 17, 2019, 01:25:17 PM »
I'd still rather not catch a cold and be recovering from it by the time the con comes around.  And I'd also rather not waste PTO before the trip either.  As of now, I'll return with only 5 hours of PTO to spare so even missing one day from a cold will suck a lot.  Rather just not risk it.
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Offline dkd

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Re: The Annual Battle Against Con Crud
« Reply #23 on: June 17, 2019, 02:36:22 PM »
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I'd still rather not catch a cold and be recovering from it by the time the con comes around.  And I'd also rather not waste PTO before the trip either.  As of now, I'll return with only 5 hours of PTO to spare so even missing one day from a cold will suck a lot.  Rather just not risk it.

Understood.  It is sad that sick days contribute to PTO in your job.  It's separate in mine.

My cold was mild enough to not require any time off.  In fact, it felt more like an allergy than a cold.  It's now a week since I felt the scratch in my throat and I'm almost fully recovered.

Offline semigeekgirl

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Re: The Annual Battle Against Con Crud
« Reply #24 on: June 17, 2019, 03:07:11 PM »
Slightly OT, but I prefer that sick and vacation days are all the same PTO at my job. When they were separate, my sick days would expire at the end of each year, so I would sometimes lie to my work to be able to use them before they went away (I was lucky enough to only rarely get sick). Now that all time off is the same (and never goes away unless you hit the maximum 'capped' amount), I can be honest with my work, which lets them and me plan around my absences. It's much nicer for everyone that way.

Offline Zero

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Re: The Annual Battle Against Con Crud
« Reply #25 on: June 17, 2019, 03:59:51 PM »
While I don't have specific methods to battle con crud, I always make sure to take my gummy (ha ha!) multivitamins, calcium chews (to help absorb vitamin D), and vitamin D gel tablets (which helps to boost your immune system) every morning.  I've never tried drinking Emergen-C or Airborne for conventions, however.

I also keep hydrated with water or unsweetened matcha green tea.  I prefer making my own with quality matcha powder to get antioxidants.  I don't drink soda anyways, and I stay away from those sweet energy drinks or sports drinks.  Before eating a meal, I always wash my hands before and after, and being a little germaphobic (occupational job hazard, ha ha), I do not touch my face while I'm out and about, and I especially avoid touching door handles directly if I can and use paper towels or napkins instead.

As an S.D. local, I don't stay in a hotel during Comic-Con, but during other cons where I do, I always wipe the door handles, light switches, TV remote, and even the toilet seat, like a few others in this thread have mentioned.  I even bring my own small bottle of liquid hand soap (which you can easily get at any dollar store and some convenient stores may carry it too) because I'm not a fan of the bar soaps the hotels provide for their guests.  It's more hygienic, and you won't have to deal with the bar soap getting soaked in water in the soap dish (which may not always be too sanitary).

And... that is basically what I do to stay healthy and avoid getting sick.  ^__^ Ha ha.

Hope that helps.
« Last Edit: June 17, 2019, 04:06:40 PM by Zero »
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Offline dkd

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Re: The Annual Battle Against Con Crud
« Reply #26 on: June 18, 2019, 08:00:53 AM »
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Slightly OT, but I prefer that sick and vacation days are all the same PTO at my job. When they were separate, my sick days would expire at the end of each year, so I would sometimes lie to my work to be able to use them before they went away (I was lucky enough to only rarely get sick). Now that all time off is the same (and never goes away unless you hit the maximum 'capped' amount), I can be honest with my work, which lets them and me plan around my absences. It's much nicer for everyone that way.

Also OT:  Our "sick days" are not an entitlement like vacation days.  They are for use if you need them--up to ten in a year.  Neither myself or anyone reporting to me has ever used more than a few in a year.  This is how our employee manual puts it:

"Regular full-time employees may use up to ten (10) paid sick days per calendar year. Such days are intended to be used only when you are unable to come to work due to a “Covered Reason,” as defined below, and are not to be used in lieu of personal or vacation days. Sick days are not an entitlement like vacation days. If you need to use a sick day, you must notify your immediate supervisor or department manager before your scheduled starting time. If you are unable to reach your supervisor or department manager, it is your responsibility to make sure another Company manager is notified. Do not leave a message with a co-worker."

Other than that, I get ten vacation days plus 3 Personal Days plus six "Summer" days to be used between Memorial Day and Labor Day.  That's nineteen days off.

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Re: The Annual Battle Against Con Crud
« Reply #27 on: June 18, 2019, 09:37:57 AM »
If you add up all my time off I get about 4 weeks a year, but I use a lot of it due to chronic illness. Next year I’ll have 5 weeks off a year. Then when I get to 10 years I’ll have 6 weeks. 


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Offline accelerate

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Re: The Annual Battle Against Con Crud
« Reply #28 on: July 24, 2019, 03:12:19 PM »
I woke up on Monday the 14th feeling like absolute crap. I had come down with a random cold. Sore throat, headache, couching. I think it was something going around the office because a few people took sick days. The next day, when I was heading to SD, I felt just as miserable. But I had loaded up on All The Meds. Dayquil. Airborne. Halls drops. Aspirin. Water. And by some miracle, by the time I landed in San Diego, I felt a lot better. Well enough that I even had a margarita. By Thursday, it was like my cold never happened.

So yeah, go meds!

Offline Iris

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Re: The Annual Battle Against Con Crud
« Reply #29 on: July 24, 2019, 05:29:46 PM »
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I woke up on Monday the 14th feeling like absolute crap. I had come down with a random cold. Sore throat, headache, couching. I think it was something going around the office because a few people took sick days. The next day, when I was heading to SD, I felt just as miserable. But I had loaded up on All The Meds. Dayquil. Airborne. Halls drops. Aspirin. Water. And by some miracle, by the time I landed in San Diego, I felt a lot better. Well enough that I even had a margarita. By Thursday, it was like my cold never happened.

So yeah, go meds!

I'm glad you were feeling better by the con so you could enjoy it! It's the worst being sick during the con.

I didn't get sick myself, luckily, but for a day I was worried I had an eye infection. My eye was gunking up throughout the day and I was freaking out (I was stuck in Hall H that day and didn't have my glasses with me to switch out contacts.) My contact had been bothering me a bit that morning, but when I took out my contacts that night it went away completely. I'm assuming that with no other lasting symptoms it was just my contact causing my eye to lose it.
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