SumRando’s Guide to a Secure Brazilian Carnival Experience

[Source: Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images]

Brazil is currently mid-Carnival celebration, which means the weather is warm, the party is endless and the clothing is practically non-existent. This annual event gives Brazilians and tourists alike an opportunity to let it all hang out before Ash Wednesday ushers in yet another season of Lenten piousness.

Year after year, Carnival has proven to be an explosion of Samba, shimmer and sensuality, but one of this year’s main attractions is an invisible virus called Zika. The virus, which was recently discovered to lead to the birth defect microcephaly in pregnant woman, has infected 1.5 million Brazilians already. Known to be contained in saliva, semen, sweat and blood and thought to be transmitted by mosquitoes (if not the bodily fluids themselves), it’s not hard to see that the very premise underlying hot, sweaty, sexual Carnival is a public health incident waiting to happen.

Regardless, if the first four days of this time-honored tradition have proven anything, it’s that the show will go on, virus or no. For those who are celebrating, SumRando suggests the following critical safety gear:

• Mosquito Repellent: Apply. Apply. Bathe. Apply. And apply some more. 

[Source: Mario Tama/Getty Images]

• Protective Costumes: Be creative! Tuck a little mosquito netting under your hat to keep your head safe, or go all out and cover your entire body.

• Condoms: Health workers at Carnival hand out condoms every year, and this year they have seen more takers than ever before. If you were looking for an excuse to practice safe sex, know that the latest research points towards sexually transmitted Zika.

• SumRando’s VPN: How many times a day do you use the Internet on your phone? Multiply that number by 6 and that’s how many times you will use it on insecure public Wi-Fi from Carnival’s Friday kickoff to Ash Wednesday. Be smart—login to SumRando’s VPN before entering any passwords or personally identifying information online.  

• SumRando Secure Messenger: Want to guarantee that only you and a selected recipient see a certain Carnival photo? Better yet—want to permanently delete that photo from both phones after it has been seen? SumRando Messenger for Android is here for you. 

Carnival’s persistence in the face of Zika is a good reminder that the lives we lead—in person or in private—are ours, are worth living and are worth protecting. Samba secure and stay Rando!

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