Child Health Month: Cough and Sneeze into your Sleeve!
October 1st is Child Health Day, but the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), once made quiet an effort to make the whole month of October mindful of Children’s Health issues. October is a great month for educational initiatives as children have settled into the school-routine and are still fresh in the academic year.
In honor of this event (and the fact that I recently was hanging out with two children with colds), please remember to cough and sneeze into your sleeve:
 Cough and Sneeze Into Your Sleeve |
People in polite society do not cough into their sleeves. Such behavior is frowned upon. The purpose of this video is to make coughing into one’s sleeve fashionable and even patriotic. It’s the right thing, the polite thing to do.
Not your hand, as you’re just putting germs onto the appendage you touch everything with, and that just doesn’t make sense.
So remember: Cough and Sneeze into your Sleeve!
I do that!
Comment by Clint — October 16, 2007 @ 7:19 pm
I’d never heard of or even though about this, until about 8 years ago, after my son was born. I’ve coughed and sneezed on my sleeves ever since.
As an OCD excessive-hand-washer, it’s nice to be able to sneeze/cough without contaminating my hands. Besides, my sleeves are already contaminated from opening doors with them (when a paper towel is not readily available). :)
Comment by spugbrap — October 17, 2007 @ 1:06 pm
This is how you’re taught to sneeze when you work in the restaurant industry, except I’ve always called it Sneezing Into My Elbow. Or, when the sneeze strikes quickly, I Sneeze Into My Armpit.
Don’t ask me how I sneeze in yoga class.
Kristina
Comment by Kristina — October 17, 2007 @ 2:53 pm
God, how I wish everyone would do this. Covering the mouth with the hand has to be the stupidest thing on the face of the earth.
Comment by davidrochester — October 17, 2007 @ 11:38 pm
I watch a coworker today cough into his fist during a meeting, then used a pen in that hand to mark some things on the board. Then it was everyone else’s turn to write something up on the board–with the same pen! I declined and mentioned it to him after the meeting.
Coughing or sneezing into your sleeve (or elbow) is infinitely better than the common practice of doing it into your hand or fist, but I sneeze or cough onto the back of my wrist instead. It’s still a place that I don’t use for anything else and it’s easier to wash; something you can’t do to your sleeve during the day. Plus, when one folds his arms, the open part of your hand touches your sleeve–which you couldn’t wash–and you are right back where you started.
Comment by John — January 15, 2009 @ 11:00 am
sneeze higher up – closer to your shoulder, not your elbow
Comment by ClintJCL — January 15, 2009 @ 11:46 am
I’d never heard of or even though about this, will try out..
Comment by Cindy — August 24, 2009 @ 2:41 am
nice article you have posted, October 1st is Child Health Day, but the American Academy of Pediatrics , once made quiet an effort to make the whole month of October mindful of Children’s Health issues.
Comment by physician — July 8, 2010 @ 8:14 am
some habits die hard. also there are folks out there who believe
they know
everything and/or do not care about the general population. they just sneeze away into their hands spreading germs onto everything they touch. all of us who sneeze correctly must continue to spread the word.
Comment by annett — January 23, 2011 @ 10:42 am