Coughing - how do you do it?

[MissPoldark]

Hopefully you do cover your mouth and cough away from others but many people still use their hand to cover their mouth when (in the absence of a tissue) using the inside of your elbow is a more effective way of preventing the spread of germs.
www.nytimes.com/2018/02/27/health/how-to-sneeze.html

Used to be hand but now it's elbow since I read the advice that circulated around the time of the last flu epidemic.

If I am near other people I step away and turn my head away from them as well

And if I have to walk through where they have just coughed, I hold my breath and shut my eyes.

They may not be/feel ill and might therefore be under the impression covering their mouth doesn’t matter, but they could share something (streptococcus or TB anyone?) that makes someone else poorly, so it’s still just as important.

I’m an elbow sneezer, I rarely cough. I must admit I didn’t realise elbow coughing was a thing!

When out and about though, so many people seem to cough out into the open air without any attempt to cover or contain it. Makes me so angry!! I hold my breath to walk past too!

With my legs crossed

With my legs crossed

Ain't that the case! Though I find sneezing worse!

Into my elbow.
I was acutely aware on public transport today of people coughing and sneezing into the air. I feel we need an '80s style public safety film campaign.

medievalist
Your right sneezing is far more dangerous

Elbow.
I grew up in Canada and everyone does elbow, I think we even had adverts about it when I was a kid.
I was shocked when I moved to the UK that it wasn't a "thing". Trying to teach my 2 year old about using his elbow too.

@Medievalist, any part of your arm will do.

I worked in health care around 15 years ago, it was a thing then. I think we then naturally did it outside of work.

*With my legs crossed8

This is me

@Medievalist, any part of your arm will do.

But no part of my arm is wide enough to contain a cough as well as a cupped hand. Or even a cupped hand with a handkerchief in it. Which is what I'm doing at the moment.

But then you use your hand to touch many things...

Elbow. And preferably my back braced against a wall if I sneeze determined not to herniate another disc

I tend to cough a lot especially at work. As I work in a food environment I always cough in to my elbow as it would be horrible to touch food with my hands when I've coughed on them.
Having said that the amount of customers who don't cover their mouth when coughing or sneezing is shocking and grim.

I am often on the bus and the number of people of all ages who sneeze and cough into the atmosphere is a bit horrible. I will always block a sneeze and cough into my elbow or coat, though I know a cough is harder to contain. My solution is to wash my hands like a fucking bastard and I rarely get ill. Also, on the bus, I cover my hands with sleeves before grasping those handrails and never touch a fucking thing in a public toilet. Handwashing is the best proven nasty illness deterrent but kids should be taught not to sneeze on people.

I can’t get my nose or mouth anywhere near my elbow..
I use a tissue to sneeze and the back of my hand to cough.

Just came across this thread! The irony! Would assume everyone is coughing properly ( covered etc) these days!

Cough into hand. Elbow does not cover mouth.

If I'm wearing a cardigan or jumper I'll generally turn away from other people and try and sneeze into that. Obviously this doesn't apply if I have a streaming cold and the sneezes are... productive (then I get tissues), but if I have dry sneezes caused by hayfever - like now - thats what I do.

Coughs the same, I'll try and cough inside my jumper / coat / t-shirt.

Fabric is much better at stopping the spread of your coughs and sneezes than your elbow or hand. This is why fabric masks are recommended at the moment, but they're designed to stop your coughs and sneezes spreading, not to stop you inhaling anything.

The elbow is new to me and I'm aiming for it to become my new habit.

Coming soon to a thread near you: Arse wiping: How do you do it?

We already had that thread a few months ago (probably around the same time this thread originated) @Tedgy. That’s when it came to light that some people use so much loo roll because they wrap it around their hands like a gauntlet...

@TARSCOUT I assume you are being sarcastic!! But just in case, you obviously don't cough into your hand!! Tissue if you can't reach your elbow!!