After Bonnaroo, you may find yourself with a nasty cough, which if left untreated can lead to bronchitis or even pneumonia. At least 5 of our group of 11 this year came down with the Bonnaflu after the festival.
No one is quite sure where it originates, it could be the massive amounts of dry Tennessee dust you inherently inhale that is kicked up by the tens of thousands of attendees, or possibly it happened on the last day, playing in the fountain which has been using recycled water from the entire weekend, or even from someone who come to the festival sick and you happened to pick up what they had! I’m here to tell you what you can do about it to help prevent it or fight it if you somehow come down with it,
First thing, make sure your immune system is in tip-top shape before you go to Bonnaroo. Personally, I like to take some vitamin C to boost my immune system before and during the festival. Avoid sharing drinks with people who could be sick, which should just be common knowledge, but you never know. If you are in dire need of water (which is always a strong possibility in that heat) you should weigh the risks involved when someone offers you water, but there is generally always a water fill-up station within 100 meters of you at any given time. There really isn’t much you can do to avoid the dust, but if you can avoid it, I would recommend it, because it will take its toll on you even if you don’t notice. If you feel bad at any time during the festival, visit the medical tent, they are always there to help, and the medical professionals there should be able to lead you in the right direction better than I can.
If you find yourself feeling under the weather after the festival is over, get some rest and keep taking that vitamin C! If you feel a little short of breath or are coughing, everyone in my group can vouch that either sudafed or Nyquil both help a ton. If you start showing symptoms of bronchitis, e.g. wheezing etc, go to the doctor, they’ll know best, and they’ll get you better in no time, because you don’t want that bronchitis to progress into pneumonia (in my brother’s case walking pneumonia). Bonnaroo may have been the best four days of the year, but you always have to put your health first.
