Covering Coughs & Sneezes

Always cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze so you don't spread germs to others.

Reading is good — doing is better. Practice Covering Coughs & Sneezes as an interactive lesson.

Definition

Covering a cough or sneeze means you put something between your mouth or nose and the air around you before the germs fly out. Germs are tiny living things that can make people sick. When you cough or sneeze without covering up, those germs shoot into the air and can land on other people or on things they touch. Covering up helps keep your friends, family, and classmates healthy.

Remember the rule

Catch it, Bin it, Kill it — Catch germs in a tissue or elbow, Bin the tissue in the trash, Kill germs by washing your hands right after.

Key words

Germ: A tiny living thing too small to see that can get inside your body and make you sick.
Cough: When air pushes hard out of your lungs and through your mouth, usually because something is tickling your throat.
Sneeze: When air bursts out of your nose and mouth very fast to push out something that is bothering your nose.
Elbow cover: Bending your arm and coughing or sneezing into the inside part of your elbow instead of your hand.
Tissue: A soft, thin paper you use to cover your nose or mouth and then throw away after one use.
Spread: When germs move from one person or place to another.
Hygiene: The habits you practice, like washing hands and covering coughs, that keep you and others clean and healthy.
Dispose: To throw something away in the trash the right way.

Worked examples

You feel a sneeze coming while sitting at your desk and you have no tissue. What do you do?

→ Quickly bend your arm and sneeze into the inside of your elbow. Your sleeve catches the germs so they don't fly into the air. · The elbow is the best backup because you don't touch things with your elbow the way you do with your hands.

You have a tissue in your pocket and you feel a cough coming. What are the steps?

→ Step 1: Grab the tissue fast. Step 2: Hold it over your mouth and nose. Step 3: Cough into the tissue. Step 4: Throw the tissue in the trash. Step 5: Wash or sanitize your hands. · Used tissues are full of germs, so throwing it away right away stops germs from spreading.

Your friend sneezes into their hand and then reaches out to hand you a crayon. What is the problem?

→ The germs from the sneeze are now on your friend's hand and will move onto the crayon and then onto your hand. This is how germs spread from person to person. · This is why covering with an elbow or tissue — not a bare hand — is so important.

You are outside at recess and you cough but have no tissue and no time to think. You cough into the open air. What should you have done instead?

→ You should have turned away from other people and coughed into your elbow right away. It takes less than one second and stops most of the germs from reaching others.

After sneezing into a tissue, you stuff the used tissue into your pocket for later. Is this a good idea?

→ No. Throw the tissue in the trash right away. A used tissue sitting in your pocket keeps germs close to you and could spread them to your hands every time you reach in.

You feel a sneeze coming while eating lunch. Your hands are full. What do you do?

→ Turn your head away from the table and other kids and sneeze into your elbow. Then wash your hands before eating again. · Always turn away from food and people, even when you use your elbow.

Common mistakes

Sneezing or coughing into your bare hand — your hand then touches everything and spreads germs all around.
Pulling your shirt up over your mouth instead of using your elbow — your elbow is closer, faster, and works just as well.
Forgetting to throw away the tissue right after using it and leaving it on a desk or table where others might touch it.
Not washing hands after covering a cough or sneeze — germs can still end up on your hands even when you try to cover properly.
Waiting too long to cover up — the cover must be in place before the cough or sneeze comes out, not after.

FAQs

Why can't I just cough into my hand like people used to do?

When you cough into your hand, your hand is now covered in germs. Then you touch a door handle, a pencil, or a friend's hand, and the germs move right along with you. Your elbow doesn't touch things as much, so it is a much safer choice.

What if my sneeze happens too fast for me to cover it?

Try to at least turn your head away from other people. After the sneeze, wash your hands and let a grown-up know if you are feeling sick. Practicing covering up every time makes you faster at it.

Do I need to cover a cough if I'm alone in a room?

It is still a good habit to practice every time so you remember to do it automatically when others are around. Germs can also land on surfaces that someone else will touch later.

How far do germs travel when someone sneezes?

Germs from a sneeze can travel up to 6 feet — about the length of a tall adult lying down. That is why covering up and staying home when you are really sick both matter.

What if I don't have a tissue and my elbow is covered by a thick winter coat?

Use your elbow anyway — even through a coat it is far better than your bare hand or the open air. Wash your hands as soon as you can afterward.

How do I know if I should stay home from school instead of just covering my coughs?

If you have a fever, feel very tired, keep coughing over and over, or your nose won't stop running, tell a parent or grown-up. Covering coughs helps, but some illnesses are so contagious that staying home is the kindest thing you can do for your class.

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