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If there’s ever a time to practice good hand and respiratory hygiene, it’s now.

We’ve been in lockdown for over a year now, and we’re all more aware of how easy it is to spread germs.

Before coronavirus, it was normal to go to work or school with a mild cough or a sniffle. But these days, the slightest sneeze is sure to set off a panic attack.

Here’s what you need to know if you have to cough or sneeze while around someone. Protect others from getting sick.

• If you’re not feeling well, the most important thing you can do is stay home to avoid spreading germs to school, work, or anywhere else. If you are already in a public place and you are sure that you will cough or sneeze, it is important to wear a mask.
• A mask reduces the percentage of respiratory droplets that are released into the air and manage to infect other people. It protects both yourself and those around you.
• Don’t like the feeling of a wet mask after coughing or sneezing? Always carry a few extra masks with you to change. In addition, we know that when a mask gets wet, it becomes unsafe.

Respiratory hygiene that is normally applied when someone is not wearing a mask includes the following instructions, which should be followed even at home (even by people who have been fully vaccinated):

• Use a tissue to cover your mouth and nose every time you cough or sneeze. If you don’t have a tissue, cough into your elbow. Never cough without covering your mouth or covering it with your hands. Our hands, if not washed, can transmit any virus.
• Always turn your face away from other people when you cough or sneeze.
• Immediately throw the used tissue in the trash.
• Wash your hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 to 95% alcohol after coughing or sneezing.
• When we cough without covering our mouth, we are essentially spraying germs in a straight line that can reach up to 1-2 meters. And if we cough and cover our mouths with our hands, we transfer germs from one place to another as we touch different surfaces.
• Serious respiratory viruses are usually spread by unwashed hands and when we touch our faces after touching contaminated surfaces. Therefore, it is extremely important to wash your hands and always cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, preferably with a mask.

Keep in mind some additional hygiene tips:

• Wash your hands often.
• Avoid touching your mouth, nose, or eyes with dirty hands. If you do, wash your hands immediately before touching anything else.
• Clean surfaces you have coughed on or touched with contaminated hands.
• Avoid shaking hands, kissing, and hugging.
• If you are sick, stay away from others, especially those in high-risk groups.

And we repeat: if you are not feeling well – stay home (or keep your children home and away from school). By simply staying home and getting some rest, you will also be helping to slow the spread of colds, flu, and COVID-19.

Think you’re sick, but don’t know what to do?

When in doubt, it’s best to err on the side of caution, especially if you’ve been in contact with someone who’s already sick. Stay home, away from school or work, and call your doctor.

Flu symptoms include:

• Fever
• Sore throat
• Body aches and chills
• Cough
• Difficulty breathing
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Sometimes diarrhea and vomiting

COVID-19 symptoms include:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Weakness or difficulty breathing
• Muscle aches or body aches
• Headache
• Loss of smell or ageusia
• Sore throat
• Nasal congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Rashes in some cases