I remember at the start of the pandemic, there were slots on tv showing viewers
- appropriate cough and sneeze etiquette
- hand hygiene and appropriate hand washing
There were ads on TV too showing appropriate etiquette.
I didn't need TV to show me what to do. Appropriate cough and sneeze etiquette and hand hygiene is part of my job and so I carried my knowledge into my personal life. I was coughing into my elbow long before it was shown on TV.
About 15/16 months down the line from the start of the pandemic - I witnessed so much carelessness on hygiene and manners from others around me over the course of the weekend.
I was having dinner in a hotel yesterday and there was a woman coughing into the open with no attempt to conceal germs in case she was infectious with a virus.
I was in the toilets and someone walked out without washing their hands.
I was over at in laws and thankfully they are vaccinated and I am vaccinated but the father in law was coughing into the open in the sitting room.
My mother often has a similar attitude. Coughing into the open without a care in the world for those around her and completely not even trying to understand incubation period of virus. She's not sick and she doesn't have covid and that's that, she doesn't need to cover her mouth when she's coughing her sneezing.
I don't understand it. It's basic hygiene and manners to keep yourself and everyone else around you as safe as possible and to have respect for your surroundings and others around you.
Then other people are fantastic. I saw one man stick his head out his car window (he was parked) to sneeze out the window. I know someone else who had to cough and she got up and ran out of the place as of she was carrying a bomb to cough into her elbow outside.
I remember when I was small my parents drove around with no car seats and seat belts. Eventually it was unacceptable to do that and there were ads on TV too about speeding, the wearing off seat belts, drink driving. Those ads were fantastic because I think it helped to change a mindset of a generation where its now completely not acceptable to drink drive, go in a car without a seat belt and car seat if you have a baby or children and to speed.
I remember another TV campaign about littering and how it was unacceptable to litter.
I think what's needed now is TV campaign with ads making it completely unacceptable to have poor hygiene and manners when around others.