What's mildly irritating you today?

[classicman]

I've never gotten a flu shot. Even when my son was in the hospital... I still refused.
I've had the flu once as an adult and that was a decade or longer ago. My daughter gets the flu shot every year - she still gets sick at least 2x over the winter.
YMMV

[Aliantha]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

Yeah, um, I did just get back from a week long hippy festival out in the bush. Now, I specifically didn't go to the kissing workshop, but I did [mumble, cough, mumble] with a woman who did. She's fine, flu-wise, now. Then there was new years eve/night in the chai tent...

Woodford?

[orthodoc]

It's okay to get a flu shot if you have some cold symptoms, but better to wait if you're running a fever.

Influenza is mostly transmitted by large droplets but also via aerosols. That means that hand-washing, not touching your face, and staying six feet away from others are helpful things to do (most large droplets fall via gravity within six feet). In a crowd where someone could sneeze directly in your face, wearing a mask could protect you against large droplets. However, aerosols hang in the air for prolonged periods and masks don't stop them. That's why you can still get influenza even if you do everything 'right' and even if you haven't been directly exposed to anyone sick. All you have to do is walk into a space where someone sneezed/coughed out small droplets an hour earlier.

A 'flu shot only protects against true influenza, not against the other viral upper respiratory infections that float around. But it's worth it to avoid the worst, or even the usual, that influenza can do.

[Undertoad]

I'm in the goddamn petri dish every goddamn day. My customers have no understanding of hygiene, and no regard for any level of common courtesy regarding cough and sneeze management.

It is foul beyond foul. I cannot convey how foul it is. I wash my hands multiple times per day and internally recoil at every other person I deal with. But sometimes I realize that I have et my chicken fingers and did not wash between touching their filthy, sticky DVD cases.

~ previous to this, I was working from home and avoiding all disease vectors, except for spending every other weekend in the vicinity of a 5-year-old ~

~ if I survive without developing tuberculosis it will be due to some lottery level of luck ~

[ZenGum]

Originally Posted by Aliantha

Woodford?

That's far too mainstream! (Waits for Ali to stop laughing)

Confest!

Not for profit, no paid performers, no paid workers, everything done by the attendees, no security or wristbands, clothing optional, drum circles, music jams, yoga, river swims, arse-djembe, mud-pit, tantric bondage workshops ...

[classicman]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

Not for profit, no paid performers, no paid workers, everything done by the attendees, no security or wristbands, clothing optional, drum circles, music jams, yoga, river swims, arse-djembe, mud-pit, tantric bondage workshops ...

... sounds like a few Dead show after parties I may or may not have attended.

[Aliantha]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

That's far too mainstream! (Waits for Ali to stop laughing)

Confest!

Not for profit, no paid performers, no paid workers, everything done by the attendees, no security or wristbands, clothing optional, drum circles, music jams, yoga, river swims, arse-djembe, mud-pit, tantric bondage workshops ...

Kinky bugger aren't you?

Woodford has become very mainstream as far as hippie folk festivals go. Very much a family thing these days, so you're probably right Zen, although it pains me to say it. lol

[footfootfoot]

Originally Posted by orthodoc

It's okay to get a flu shot if you have some cold symptoms, but better to wait if you're running a fever.

Influenza is mostly transmitted by large droplets but also via aerosols. That means that hand-washing, not touching your face, and staying six feet away from others are helpful things to do (most large droplets fall via gravity within six feet). In a crowd where someone could sneeze directly in your face, wearing a mask could protect you against large droplets. However, aerosols hang in the air for prolonged periods and masks don't stop them. That's why you can still get influenza even if you do everything 'right' and even if you haven't been directly exposed to anyone sick. All you have to do is walk into a space where someone sneezed/coughed out small droplets an hour earlier.

A 'flu shot only protects against true influenza, not against the other viral upper respiratory infections that float around. But it's worth it to avoid the worst, or even the usual, that influenza can do.

I've got one of these and I can swap out the HEPA filters (purple) with Organic Vapor / Acid Gas filters. I am an upper respiratory cooties magnet.

[ZenGum]

Wear that on the subway and see what happens!

[footfootfoot]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

Wear that on the subway and see what happens!

Should I also wear my tyvek suit?

[ZenGum]

Bedouin robes.

[Aliantha]

My hair is falling out. Choco was complaining about it a month or so ago. I guess it's my turn to deal with it. lol

My poor drains are full of hair, and every time I comb my hair I have to pull a handful of hair out. At this rate I'll have none left before too long!

Lucky I have a nicely shaped skull!

[Chocolatl]

Oh no! Hang in there, Ali (and Ali's hair!) My loss is fiiiiinally starting to slow down -- but man is my hairline thin now!

[Aliantha]

haha...we make a nice pair then.

[Sundae]

Can I make it a trio. Mine is sparse too.
Not so anyone else would notice, really. But you know your own hair and I know I am losing far more than normal and it is looking thin.

Funny how Mum used to predict all my hair dropping out because I used bright colours on it, whereas in fact it's nothing to do with that in the end. I expect it's slowing down/ will improve as this weekend marks three weeks teetotal.