Coughing and Sneezing: Preventing Respiratory Illnesses

Cold and other diseases of the respiratory system annually affect millions of people: from ordinary colds to severe illnesses including RSV, pertussis, COVID-19 and more. Respiratory disease is responsible for several hundred thousand hospitalizations throughout the USA yearly, and although children and elderly, are at higher risk.

For instance, the CDC has suggested that RSV alone was responsible for hospitalizing approximately 58,000–80,000 children younger than five years of age annually; In the most recent flu seasons, doctor visits and hospitalizations for all types of respiratory viruses have increased even more.

As these diseases continue to cause many deaths as well as suffering for many other people, efforts have to be made, especially in preventing transmission and mitigating the losses that are endured by society financially.

Respiratory illnesses spread in several key ways, primarily through airborne droplets and surface contamination:

To control the spread of germs and prevent respiratory illnesses, Below are core habits for effective prevention:

Creating policies and encouraging practices that support respiratory hygiene can further prevent outbreaks. For example:

● Schools and Workplaces: School recommendations include the availability of hand sanitizers in classrooms and washing of hands before eating. Measures that assist the employer in implementing these measures may include the following: An employer can implement policies that forbid the workers from coming to work if they are sick.

● Public Spaces: Posting notices can act as friendly cues for people in common places like malls, hospitals and gyms to wash their hands or cover mouths when coughing.

It is an undeniable fact that the promotion of a health and hygiene culture is a social process that can greatly strengthen the society’s ability to prevent and cope with respiratory infections.

With such respiratory diseases affecting people across the world, your personal healthy habit affects the community (positively, of course). Coughing and sneezing etiquette, the correct way of washing hands and having healthy practices are some ways we can avoid making contact with germs.

Although it is advisable to ensure that your friends, family and even your colleagues adopt these practices, reminding them is very important since preventing respiratory illnesses is beneficial to everyone. These are the tips one can use in the future, should follow these guidelines Let elaborate on these few and let’s make the world a safer place for everybody.

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5.“Ventilation and Respiratory Viruses | US EPA.” US EPA, 1 Nov. 2024