Correct cough etiquette to prevent disease transmission

Diseases caused by infection with pathogens such as viruses and bacteria can be contagious. Transmission of infectious diseases can occur through direct contact or even inhalation of air containing pathogenic droplets released during speech, sneezing and coughing. Therefore, it is important for you to know the correct ethics or coughing procedures so that you can prevent spreading the disease to other people.

Correct cough etiquette minimizes the risk of disease transmission

In Century new normal, You need to practice cough etiquette wherever and whenever. Cough etiquette is important to minimize disease transmission. Occasional coughs are normal, but they should be considered ethically.

Coughing is a natural form of response to the body due to a foreign substance that enters the respiratory system. This reflex becomes the body's way of removing dirt or irritants that interfere with the respiratory system.

However, a persistent cough can indicate a problem in the respiratory system or other illness.

Coughing is the most common symptom experienced when there is an infection with pathogens, namely disease-causing microorganisms such as viruses and bacteria, in the respiratory tract. For example, viral infections that cause flu and colds are the most common causes of cough with phlegm or asthma that cause dry coughs.

Transmission of this disease can take place very quickly from person to person because the virus causes it to be found in mucus droplets that are released when sneezing and coughing.

If the spread of viral droplets can be limited, disease transmission can also be minimized. The application of cough etiquette can help control the spread of viruses that cause respiratory system infections.

The right way to apply cough etiquette

Cough etiquette should be practiced at any time, even if you are in good health. Meanwhile, people who are sick are very obliged to apply this cough etiquette.

Efforts to prevent the spread of the most commonly recognized disease are covering the mouth and nose with your hands when sneezing and coughing.

Blocking widespread droplets by covering the mouth and nose is appropriate. However, even using the palms of your hands can spread pathogens through touch. Without realizing it, you have transferred the bacteria from your palms to objects or other people that will come in contact with your hands.

The use of a handkerchief to cover coughs is also inappropriate. Instead of avoiding contact with disease germs, these harmful organisms can become trapped in them. If you are sick, there is a higher chance of reinfection.

But coughing ethics goes beyond just covering your mouth and nose, there are a few other steps that also need to be followed.

1. Cover the nose and mouth with a tissue

If you are about to cough, the proper etiquette is to immediately take a tissue to cover your mouth and nose. Immediately throw the used tissue in the trash, before the tissue is touched or even used by someone else.

The cough itself is a reflex that is sometimes difficult to control. There are times when you want to cough but don't have time to get a tissue to cover your mouth and nose.

So cough on the inside of your upper arm, not the palm of your hand. The upper arm is the part that rarely comes into contact with objects (doorknobs, cutlery, or telephones) or makes physical touch such as when shaking hands with other people.

2. Keep a distance from other people

When coughing, don't forget to turn your face away from the people around you. Coughing etiquette like this is done to ensure that no droplets splash onto other people's bodies or faces.

Moving away from other people is also important because according to dr. Frank Esper from the Cleveland Clinic, germs secreted when coughing can be ejected 1-2 meters.

3. Wash your hands with soap

Remember to always wash your hands after coughing. Most of the dangerous respiratory diseases are spread because of the touch of hands that are contaminated with pathogens to the face.

The ethics of washing hands properly is to use soap and running water. Other cleaning fluids such as sanitizers can also be used as long as they contain 60-95 percent alcohol.

When washing your hands, make sure you clean all parts of your palms, including rubbing between your fingers. Do this for 20 seconds to ensure that the pathogen's body armor is completely destroyed by the water so that it can no longer actively infect the body.

In cough etiquette, cleaning hands with soap and running water is more effective because the germs flow directly off the surface of the hand.

4. Use a mask when sick

Finally, use a mask if you feel sick and have a persistent cough.

The use of masks should also be used appropriately. Change the mask regularly or wash it with a soap that contains a disinfectant if you use a mask that can be reused.

Avoid using a mask that is dirty and damp because it can be a conducive environment for germs to reproduce.

Even if you wear a mask, try to keep yourself away from other people when you cough so you don't spread germs.

Cough etiquette when you feel sick

Every step of the cough etiquette should be applied when coughing anywhere, especially in crowded places or public facilities. Likewise when you are alone because droplets can still move through the air or stick to surfaces.

If your cough is indeed a symptom of an infectious disease, it's a good idea to rest at home and avoid crowded places such as offices, markets, and schools whenever possible. This is done to avoid physical contact and to maintain a distance from other people so as to prevent transmission of disease germs.

In addition, it will be better if you also recognize the other symptoms of the disease that causes cough in general. Reporting from the Mayo Clinic, diseases such as colds and flu can cause other health problems that appear along with coughs, such as:

• Fever
• Dry throat
• Body aches, especially in joints and muscles
• Hard to breathe
• Runny and stuffy nose
• Headache
• Fatigue or weakness
• Diarrhea and vomiting

A cough caused by a cold or flu will usually stop in less than a week, and it can even be quicker if you take simple treatments to relieve a cough. For example, by increasing the consumption of fluids, rest, and drinking cough medicine.

There are a variety of cough medicines that actively relieve various coughs based on their symptoms. Adjust the cough medicine to your cough problem, whether it is a cough with phlegm, no phlegm, a cough and fever, or a cough with phlegm caused by allergies. Immediately take cough medicine to resolve the appropriate cough symptoms, so that you can return to smooth communication and carry out more optimal activities.

However, if you have been coughing continuously for more than 2 weeks despite taking cough medicine, then you need to see a doctor as soon as possible. The doctor will recommend the right cough medicine for the type of cough you are experiencing. But be careful, cough symptoms like this can lead to a chronic cough, which is a sign of a more serious respiratory problem.

Remember, cough etiquette such as using a tissue or the inside of the upper arm, keeping your distance from other people, and washing your hands afterward also apply when sneezing.