This winter has been bad, there's some really nasty respiratory crap going around that lingers for many weeks. Avoid it if you can.
When I first started in this biz, I got sick a lot. I got tired of that and did some research on viruses...
It's less common to get them airborne, you usually touch something which someone before you touched with their nasty, snotty, virus-laden fingers.
- Avoid touching anything in the cabin or public areas which other people touch.
- You know that worn paint spot on the door where everyone pushes it open? Put you hand above or below that when you open the door...
- If you do touch a public surface, wash your hands (or sani-gel) asap.
- Act like you work in a Bio-hazard facility (because you do).
- Wipe down the cockpit, in domestic work a lot of guys cycle through there and odds are that in the winter one of them is sick...especially at regionals which "discourage" sick calls.
- Don't touch your face, especially nose/mouth, while on duty. Period. Unless you just washed your hands.
- Be careful in your hotel room, that's not as public as the airport but the guy who checked out this am could have been sick.
- This sounds like a PITA but it becomes second nature after a while.
Your immune system can get depressed in the line of duty. These things will help...
- Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate! This is probably the biggy, and the dry air and lack of bathroom access makes it easy to get dehydrated.
- Booze: It will knock your system down AND dehydrate you. Go easy while travelling.
- Diet & exercise: No surprise here, you will feel better all around. But if you do vigorous workouts on the road, make sure you hydrate.
- Sunlight: Cockpit windows block UV-B (skin cancer) but do not really block UV-A (skin aging and immune system suppression). You know how you feel beat after a long day in the sun? So does your immune system. Use sunblock in the cockpit. If you are a woman it will keep from looking 55 at age 35 too. (dudes probably don't care). The may sound far fetched but on a long day it makes a very noticeable difference in how much energy I have at the end. The science behind this is real. YMMV.
After I figured all this, I stopped getting sick (until my kid went to school anyway).