‘Coughs and sneezes spread diseases.’

That slogan was a US public health message used during the Spanish Flu Epidemic. It’s a message which remains just as true 100 years on, during the biggest pandemic seen since. Today, we’re looking at respiratory hygiene.

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The NHS advocates the ‘Catch it. Bin it. Kill it.’ method of tackling respiratory illnesses such as colds and flu. Each cough or sneeze should be ‘caught’ in a tissue and disposed of. Ideally, you should then wash your hands, with soap and water, or alcohol handgel.

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If you cannot ‘catch’ the cough or sneeze in a tissue, the next best thing is your elbow. You are far less likely to touch a surface with the inside of your elbow than your hand, and so you minimise the chance of transmitting the disease to anybody else.

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Whilst handkerchiefs may be more environmentally-friendly than disposable tissues, this really isn’t the time! Tissues need to be disposed of quickly, not left lying around on tables, shoved in pockets or dropped on the floor.

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On Sunday, we explained some of the science behind face coverings, which is relevant here too. As face coverings are designed to catch any respiratory droplets, removing one to cough or sneeze completely defeats the object of wearing one in the first place.

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As COVID-19 is primarily spread via respiratory droplets, then, this key public health message from 1920 is just as relevant today as then.

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