Cover Your Cough and Sneeze to Prevent Spread of Infectious Disease

Everyone knows that it is polite to cover coughs and sneezes. And throughout our lives, most of us have been told to do so with our hands. But think about it. Hands are what we use to navigate through the world, touching doorknobs, keyboards, dishes, food, remotes, phones...everything. Other than coughing or sneezing directly into the air, spraying germs into hands is probably one of the worst places to put them.

Cough or Sneeze into Fabric

Medical professionals now recommend that we cough or sneeze into fabric, such as a sleeve or into a tissue that is then thrown away, not reused. Fabric traps germs that would otherwise be airborne, so that they can't be inhaled by others.

How Germs are Spread

Although cold viruses can easily be picked up from surfaces and hands, flu viruses are transmitted through air; dry air that is common during the colder seasons when humidity levels are low. High humidity causes flu viruses to attract water and then drop out to the ground, where they can't be inhaled.

Other Ways to Prevent Spread of Germs

Frequently Wash Hands: Hand washing is also an important part of preventing the spread of infectious disease. Wash hands at regular intervals, thoroughly cleaning all areas of the hand (fingertips and thumbs are often missed.). Use a hand sanitizer to kill germs on hands between washings.

Don't Touch Your Face: Viruses and bacteria can also be introduced into the body when a person touches his or her eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands. Try to avoid touching your face, especially during flu season, unless it is right after your hand have been cleaned.

Get Vaccinated: Since there are so many different viruses and strains that cause the common cold, it is not possible to produce a vaccine that would be effective in cold prevention. There is, however, a vaccine that protects against seasonal flu, and another, that will be released soon, that has been developed to prevent the novel H1N1 swine flu. See your health care provider regarding which vaccines you and your family should be getting this flu season.

For humorous visual instruction on proper coughing technique, see the video "Why Don't We Do It in Our Sleeves?" by OFL Productions. I show this to all of my micro and cell biology classes at the beginning of the semester, and it makes a difference in how they cover their coughs and sneezes throughout the semester.

Sources

Center for Disease Control (2009). Seasonal Influenza.

Center for Disease Control (2009), Common Cold and Runny Nose.

Lowen, A.; Mubareka1, S.; Steel,J.; Palese, P. (2007). "Influenza Virus Transmission Is Dependent on Relative Humidity and Temperature". PLoS Pathogens, October Issue.