Thread by @SMpwrgr

🧵staying safe at conference in time of “personal responsibility”

Friend’s partner required to attend conference (no online option) people flying in from all over Aus

We did brainstorming session of all layers of protection, tips, advice we could think of to keep them both safe

Tips:

* get permission to take large hepa filters from home to set up in conf venue
* use portable hepa unit on lap/table in front of them
* wear well fitted, high quality respirator 100% of time
* eat meals outside without exception
* organise house to stay in rather than hotel

* avoid field trip involving bus
* take co2 monitor to be informed in real time of Indoor Air Quality & assess risk
* be on lookout 4 windows/doors that can be opened to ⬆️ ventilation
* update booster beforehand
* regular nasal spray/CPC mouthwash/lozenges to suck on throughout

* be prepared for peer group pressure/questions
* put bag on seat next to you to create distance from others
* take breaks to go outside throughout the day where possible
* bring supply of RATs to offer to others
* bring supply of respirators in case someone else wants one

* contact venue & enquire about ventilation
* sip valve for respirator to allow for safe drinks
* drive to conference rather than fly
* quarantine/isolate after the conference for a few days before returning home
* pull a last minute sickie! 😂

How it went:

* Ventilation reassuringly good
* Partner’s boss ended up masking, in total approx half a dozen masked of several hundred attendees
* Others who masked took them off to eat/give talks, but partner remained masked throughout
* Had to knock back lots of food offered

* Hepas set up at back of room and near speaker, after venue manager had small conniption & needed explanation of what they were
* other attendees remarked masking was sensible (but remained unmasked)
* Partner ate in car during day & skipped dinners, hard to miss socialising

End result

* Partner remained healthy, RAT negative, no symptoms 🥳
* Boss revealed “a lot of people have come down with cvd after the conference, it’s lucky we wore masks” 😬

For the record, it was NOT luck

What we all learned

* It is possible to minimise risk, especially with multiple layers

* It’s much harder to do so individually, would’ve been easier and obviously more effective to protect collectively

* If you attend public events with shared air without protection, you are jeopardising your own health AND that of your loved ones when you get home

* Being informed is powerful; having a group of well informed, like minded friends to collaborate with is priceless 😍

**Please note all advice is from well informed, well intentioned laypeople, not one of us is an expert - these are our personal tips not expert advice