sneezing, coughing, dirty hands, oh my!

Gross! A group of medical school students checked out the sneezing and coughing habits of people in New Zealand. The students found that 3 out of 4 people tried to cover their mouths2/3 of them used their bare hands. Now, they they are apt to touch anything and spread the yuckyness. Others touching the surface will then become infected by anything those people had.

According to the CDC, influenza, SARS, RSV and whooping cough are all spread through coughing or sneezing and having unclean hands. The agency recommends the following “proper” means of sneezing/coughing hygiene(also my realistic 2 cents no matter how funny they may sound)

*Always cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing./ In extreme emergencies try to  find a disposable piece of paper.

*Wash hands carefully for a full 20 seconds with soap and warm water./If no soap is available then turn up the heat a bit for 5 seconds, then with your hands out of water turn on cold only. for another 3 seconds.


*If soap and water are unavailable, use an alcohol based hand rub./If your at a bar, yes that alcohol will work too. If an egg can boil in beer, then nothing survives whiskey.

*Put used tissue in the waste basket./Don't flush down the toilet. not all plumbing can handle it.

*If no tissue is available, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or elbow and not into your hands/ But what if somebody grabs my elbow or upper sleeve? better to sneeze inside your shirt. keep that pocket of mucus close to you, till you can shower or clean it off.

Abit of info about Whooping Cough/Pertussis

Pertussis commonly called whooping cough,is caused by the bacteria Bordetella pertussis. This infects the respiratory system and is very contagious. The symptoms are similar to a cold at the start, but in a week or two, this escalates to severe coughing. The coughing is violent, prolonged, and may cause a whooping sound when inhaling(hence the name).It is rare, but possible to have a fever at this stage although infants temperatures are more likely to rise.

Because pertussis is a bacterial disease, it responds well to antibiotics.
Tdap has been developed as a booster vaccine for adults. This protects against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis. Tdap is recommended for adults and pregnant women, and is often given to families and caregivers of newborns. Every ten years or so you should get a tetanus shot. Its recommended to ask your doctor if you can take Tdap,that way you can get a vaccine for all three illnesses at once. Three vaccines are given for whooping cough, from 2 to 6 months of age. Neither getting vaccinated nor surviving the illness provides lifetime immunity.The whooping cough vaccine only works for about 5 to 10 years, so a booster is recommended.