If you think you are, or might be, infectious to others, please stay at home.

The problem is that sometimes people don’t really know how infectious they are and they don’t like to let their partner down. We are hoping that (after taking medical advice) this reminder to everyone will protect some of our more vulnerable members.

If you are brewing a cold you may get a sore throat and it may or may not develop into a full-blown cold. At this time and later when your nose starts to drip or you are repeatedly coughing you are probably very infectious and will spread your germs around. As the cold “thickens up” and you have had it for several days you are probably much less infectious.

• Anyone with an actual temperature is strongly advised not to come but it’s unlikely they would feel like it anyway.
• Anyone with sickness or diarrhoea is also infectious for 48 hours after the last loo trip to put it bluntly!
• Hand washing is important. At all times it’s precautionary to wash your hands before the session, after the session and during the session (half time).

To date there is no way of protecting oneself against the common cold virus. If you have a virus your doctor may give you antibiotics to protect against added bacterial infection but this does not make you less infectious to others as you can still give them a virus.

• Constant “low grade subclinical infections” will build our resistance at least to the local viruses. However, whilst most of us get over a cold virus very easily some people can be extremely unwell. Children are always much more infectious than adults and so grandchildren can pass on colds very easily.
• We all know the problems of travel from others areas of the country and of course Infections after air travel. 
• It goes “without saying” that anyone who is ill on the day of the club evening or who has been ill in the past 48 hours or who is at all suspicious that they might be infectious should cancel or ring the club to warn their partner they won’t be coming.