Wash your hands a lot & don't touch your face. My boyfriend does this & he NEVER gets sick. I am still trying to learn not to rub my eyes when I am tired. Argh!

Save your mask for Burning Man during a dust storm.

There is even stronger evidence that not cleaning is an excellent way to propagate disease and foster epidemics. The standard breakouts of hepatitis and head lice in schools are classic examples. Of course, if more people would wash their hands after going to the toilet, I wouldn't have to disinfect my hands as often with hand sanitizer (and by the way, the CDC agrees that hand sanitizers work).

Just a followup: I didn't use the mask--everyone around me seemed fine--and I'm fine too. Drank enough Airborne to float all the way there and back!

Two friends of ours(both physicians) who travel all over the world swear by Purell/Brand X hand sanitizer.

Most of our energy goes into trying to keep our immune systems happy--as little stress as possible, positive outlook, healthy sleeping and eating, etc. But I do always travel with hand sanitizer and *try* to stop rubbing my eyes!