Cough Etiquette for Infection PreventionIt's Day 2 of International Infection Prevention Week and I want to stimulate you to exercise good cough and sneeze etiquette. Webster defines etiquette as "behavior that is conventionally acceptable or required in society". Believe it or not, lots of study has been directed toward human behavior as it relates to transmission of infection. Since many common infections are transmitted by the droplet or airborne routes, it is appropriate to focus attention on behavioral changes that can limit this kind of spread. It is natural to just cough or sneeze into the air and your immediate environment. You and your body are responding to the stimulus to cough or sneeze and usually you don't have much warning. If we lived in a bubble (or a cave) this might be acceptable. But covering the mouth and nose to limit the dispersion of mucous droplets and nanobugs is not only polite but also a healthy behavior for your community. Years ago the CDC developed a campaign called "Cover Your Cough" and it has been taught in our public schools for years reaching many children. Here is the essence of good cough / sneeze etiquette: Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze OR cough or sneeze into the upper sleeve of your shirt - NOT into your hands. Put any used tissues into the waste basket pronto. Then good hand hygiene is needed even after coughing or sneezing properly. Either use soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. It is not easy to change behaviors that come so naturally- takes practice and reminders. In order for children to keep their nanobugs contained, they need demonstration of appropriate ways to cover their cough or sneeze and constant reminders. Teachers (often out of self protection) teach and remind. But I worry that parents may not have received proper instruction themselves and therefore they won't be reinforcing this behavior in their children. And what about other adults we are exposed to in the workplace? That is why I designed the Nanobugs Training Shirt - to be a wearable instruction tool. It comes in adult sizes to facilitate teaching and role-modeling and also in kid sizes to teach and encourage the under-age cougher. In Japan, when someone has a common cold, he/she wears a face mask when they go out in public to cover their coughs and sneezes. The mask announces to those in their community that this person is polite and communicable. It is a nice social behavior but not a perfect solution to living together in close proximity - packed on subways and trains, etc. After a while the mask becomes moist from respiration and is also ladened with nanobugs. As the person touches the mask, adjusts it, and scratches their nose under it - their hands become contaminated. Even though the culture of Japan does not include shaking hands, the hands are still a primary tool for transmitting nanobugs. So, hand hygiene is always an appropriate behavior. Don't offer your hand in a handshake to anyone wearing a mask or with obvious signs of a respiratory infection. And don't kiss babies with what Bill Cosby calls "a glazed donut" face - no matter how cute they are or how you are related! Rhinovirus loves everyone and is just looking for a free ride.
This entry was posted on October 16th, 2007 at 12:41 pm. RSS
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