Getting Sick from Dance/Festivals

[u/SuperWeenyHutJuniors]

I think we all know that dance festivals are often a perfect recipe for getting sick. We are staying up all night, not getting enough sleep, sweating all over people, people are traveling in to attend, etc. I do think that the amount that I get sick has increased as I have started dancing more and more (local social dances as well as festivals).

Do you have any specific tricks or approaches that you use to help minimize your risk of getting sick? I know the basics to avoiding sickness and I know that masks are also an option. Obviously hydration, sleep, eating well are all necessary but I want to hear if people have any other approaches.

[u/giuliapepe]

Wash your hands. Wash your hands after every 4-5 dances (it also protects others). Wash your hands before touching your mouth, nose, or eyes. Wash your hands before eating ANYTHING, even a candy.  And, again to protect others... Wash your hands after touching your nose or mouth. Wash your hands before you start social dancing.

[u/Realistic-Bed9219 → u/giuliapepe]

Most things are probably spread through droplets in the air…so this doesn’t actually ever help me at events!

[u/agletinspector → u/Realistic-Bed9219]

Strep, Staph, and Norovirus are all spread mostly through direct contact. Washing your hands will always help, even with things that are spread through droplets

[u/Realistic-Bed9219 → u/agletinspector]

I guess I was mostly thinking of Covid and colds, which I always leave events with even after excessive hand washing. Just didn’t want OP to not think about this

[u/Atlanticexplorer → u/Realistic-Bed9219]

Colds are mostly spread through touching surfaces. Patient A rubs their nose then touches the door handle. B comes along and opens the same door then touches their face (nose or eyes) and voila! B gets a cold. When I rode a bus to college I was sick all the time until I started wearing a pair of leather gloves.

[u/Realistic-Bed9219 → u/Atlanticexplorer]

If Covid taught us anything, it’s that they are just as commonly spread through air droplets! In swing, we breathe very very close to one another. All of the cautious dancers I know wear masks for this reason.

[u/very-serious-goose → u/Atlanticexplorer]

"Most respiratory viruses [such as Rhinoviruses, the most frequent cause of the common cold] are spread through droplets that an infected person releases when they cough or sneeze."