Cover your cough to stop the spread of germs – WZZM13.com

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. Stopping the spread of germs is top of mind these days and covering a cough is a good place to start.

Frank Esper, M.D., of Cleveland Clinic Childrens, said theres a proper way to cough to stop germs in their tracks.

What we try to do, is we try to cough into a place that we dont touch other people, he said. And so, our elbow has been one of the best things that we have found over the last years, is that if we cough into our arm, and into our elbow, we dont have to worry about moving those germs from place to place.

Dr. Esper said when we cough into open air, germs can travel three to five feet.

Some germs stay airborne for a while like measles, which can hang out in the air for hours.

He said when we catch a cough in our hands it may stop the cough, but germs can spread if we touch objects and people.

Dr. Esper recommends teaching kids at a young age to cough like Dracula and tuck their nose into their elbow, just like Dracula wraps his face in his cape so it becomes a habit.

But, he reminds parents that little kids will forget so, its important to also teach them good hand washing skills.

A lot of times, children are very happy to learn this; they are just sponges for information, said Dr. Esper. You tell them to wash their hands early and often, especially when theyre sick; especially when theyre wiping their nose or theyre playing with someone whos wiping their nose it is one way to keep them healthy.

Dr. Esper said washing hands for about 20 seconds is ideal to get rid of viruses and bacteria. For kids under three, who arent especially good at washing their hands, using alcohol-based hand sanitizer is another good option.

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Cover your cough to stop the spread of germs - WZZM13.com

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