Skip to main content

Do not use a handkerchief when you sneeze. Use your elbow


Coughing or sneezing spread germs and diseases.  People have been used to coughing or sneezing into their hands or handkerchief, however medical experts have advised against this.
 
They say when people cough or sneeze, they should do so into the crook of the elbow or upper sleeve and not their hands. They advise that another option is to cover their mouth and nose with a tissue.
 
The experts  said the handkerchief can be a harbinger of unpleasant micro-organisms, and bacteria can multiply in them, while sneezing into sleeves helps stop germs from spreading.
 
According to Dr. Ezie Patrick C, handkerchiefs can “store the germs in your pockets and ensure continuous re-infection.”
 
He said sneezing into sleeves is one of the ways of improving hygiene and preventing diseases like pneumonia.
 
Dr. Patrick who is also the Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Medical Association, Federal Capital Territory branch said the use of handkerchiefs was not a good cough etiquette in the prevention of tuberculosis.
 
“The current cough etiquette advocates that handkerchiefs should not be used by coughing individuals. Tissues are recommended as they are used and discarded.
 
This is because the bacteria that causes TB is very reactive to sunlight and is rapidly destroyed in a matter of minutes when exposed to sunlight,” he said.
 
The physician said the correct coughing etiquette is to cough into a tissue which is promptly discarded or the inside surface of your arms.
 
Dr Patrick said: “The logic is simple, when you cough into a handkerchief the moist damp dark surface especially when put into your pocket is convenient medium for the bacterium to thrive and multiply. However, when you cough into your sleeves the bacterium is exposed to sunlight and they die immediately.”
 
Also Prof John Oxford, a virus expert in an interview with The Telegraph in the United Kingdom, said the traditional advice to cover the mouth and nose actually encourages the spread of disease because viruses are easily spread through touch. 
 
Prof Oxford, who is of the Queen Mary Medical School London, said  that by sneezing and coughing into the crook of the elbow or the sleeve, those with colds can minimise the spread of germs. 
 
According to him, ditching handkerchiefs in favour of disposable tissues also helps, but regularly washing hands with soap and water is most important.
 
“The new etiquette should be to cough and sneeze into your elbow. It breaks the chain of transmission and you must wash your hands properly and regularly.
 
You should sing Happy Birthday twice over while washing your hands with hot water and soap, a quick squirt of cold water will not do it. 
 
The handkerchief can be a harbinger of unpleasant micro-organisms. Bacteria can multiply in them,” Prof Oxford stressed. He added that sneezing into a tissue is better, but germs will still escape.
 
By: Ojoma Akor
Daily Trust News

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

KIDS AND PORNOGRAPHY - HOW TO STOP THEM Do you know what your teenager/younger one is doing on that data enabled phone or iPad??* Don't be caught unaware. Pornography is available with just one click. How about social media? Do you have any control over how much time they spend on it when they should be studying or sleeping? I am sure you worry about these things even though you realize that they need these devices as a means of communication and even learning. But as good parents, we must protect the minds of our teenagers and children. I thought it was a joke when my pastor's wife told me that there is a mobile application that I can download, just like I downloaded WhatsApp.  I did not believe it could actually protect my son until I tried it out myself. I have visited www.mindguard.com.ng and I have downloaded the parent app on my phone and the digital coach on my child's phone so that I can protect him from the dangers associated with the internet without...
Post a Comment
Read more
WHAT A GREAT STORY *This is a great story. Take a moment to read it; I Pray it will make your day* A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.. When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son. About a month later, just before Christmas, There was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands.. He said, 'Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly... He often talked about you, and your love for art.' The young man held out this package. 'I know this isn't much. I'm...
Post a Comment
Read more
The importance of Giving! As you probably recall, the Dead Sea is really a Lake, not a sea. It’s so high in salt content that the human body can float easily. The salt in the Dead Sea is as high as 35% - almost 10 times the normal ocean water. And all that saltiness has meant that there is no life at all in the Dead Sea. And hence the name: Dead Sea. The other Sea is the Sea of Galilee. It happens that the Sea of Galilee is just north of the Dead Sea. Both the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea receive their water from river Jordan. And yet, they are very, very different. Unlike the Dead Sea, the Sea of Galilee is pretty, resplendent with rich, colourful marine life. Same region, same source of water, and yet while one sea is full of life, the other is dead. How come? Here’s apparently why. The River Jordan flows into the Sea of Galilee and then flows out. The water simply passes through the Sea of Galilee in and then out - and that keeps the sea healthy and vibrant, teemi...
Post a Comment
Read more