Covering coughs and sneezes — Health, 4–6 years
Coughs and sneezes can send tiny wet drops into the air. Covering them helps keep those drops away from other people.
What to do
When a cough or sneeze comes, turn away from people and cover your mouth and nose with a tissue. If there is no tissue, use the inside of your elbow, not your hands. Then put the tissue in the bin.
Why it helps
A cough or sneeze can carry wet drops from your nose or mouth. Some drops may contain germs, and they can land on a person, toy or table. Covering them gives the drops a smaller path to travel, so fewer germs spread around.
A real moment
Mia feels a sneeze while sitting beside Leo. First, she turns her face away. Next, she sneezes into the inside of her elbow because her tissue is in her bag. Finally, she tells an adult and gets a new tissue when she can.
The hands feel obvious
Many people cover a sneeze with both hands because it feels neat and polite. That is a reasonable first thought: the hands are close to the face. But hands touch toys, taps and other people, so germs can travel from them; the elbow is a better cover.
Where it matters
This helps in a bus, at nursery, in a shop or at home when people are close together. It is especially useful during a cold, when someone may cough or sneeze often. An adult can help if a child cannot find a tissue or bin.
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