What other (than into elbow,) way is best to sneeze /cough especially in public?

Use it like a weapon. “Back away or I’ll sneeze. Don’t test me!”

Carry a tissue and sneeze or cough into the tissue.

Wear a bandana over your nose and mouth like an Old West outlaw and sneeze into that.

Actually, that is seriously what I plan to do if I get sick and need to go into the world.

Use another persons elbow.

You could bend over and sneeze into your crotch but you’d probably get some funny looks.

Into your coat.

@janbb Just use your knee! Or another persons crotch!

According to the noon news, they’ve determined that you’re safer sneezing into a tissue rather than into your elbow because the elbow doesn’t sufficiently protect those around you. Now they say use a tissue to cover your mouth & nose.

I still had a lagging cough from the flu. I went and bought cough medicine for when I was going to be with people. I’m right at the end of the cough anyway, it’s been 6 weeks. Ugh, it dragged out. Today felt like the first day that I think I’m finally completely done.

It seems to me sneezing into your hand is probably more likely to contain droplets than the elbow. I wonder if anyone has looked at that? Sometimes I cough in my hand reflexively. When I do I go and wash my hands or use some sort of hand sanitizer if I’m sick.

I pull the collar of my shirt or hoodie, cover my face with it and sneeze/cough into it. My boobs get the impact. I can shower later.

I also pull my sleeve when I wear a hoodie to open doors. I cover my hand with the sleeve. A hoodie is a life saver. Buy a size larger than what you normally wear.

@JLeslie Sneezing into your hand is NOT the greatest option. That’s why they are recommending keeping a pocket full of tissues, so you can sneeze into a tissue & then discard it. The research they did also showed that with most people that the elbow got to the mouth approx ½ second after the sneeze left the mouth so it only appeared that the elbow was containing the sneeze & the droplets spattered onto anyone in front of the sneezer. IF your hand is your ONLY option, you still have the option of washing your hand with soap & water for 20 seconds!!!

Like @Jonsblond I cough and sneeze into my shirt most of the time (like I pull the neck of my shirt up over my mouth and do that.) I have no idea if that’s good or bad, it’s just what I do. I also grab door handles with my sleeve.

@LadyMarissa From what you wrote, the elbow does very little to stop the droplets. They did away with sneezing and coughing into your hand because people are idiots, and for some reason don’t understand that cold and flu is spread on surfaces and don’t care that they get others sick.

I know if I sneeze in my hand my hand is now full of germs, and I do give a damn if I get others sick, and I’ve known since I was a little girl that germs spread on surfaces.

I’m not arguing about the tissue being best, I’m just saying we don’t always have a tissue handy.

I cough and sneeze in my elbow and turn away from people usually. I will literally walk away and turn if I have enough warning that I’m going to sneeze or cough. Like I said, I dosed myself up with cough medicine, and I don’t like taking medicine, to not cough when with people right now.

It’s allergy season where I live right now. Those allergy people are at more risk I think. They are touching their eyes and nose a lot probably. I think that’s why allergy people get change of season colds. I also think cold and flu season is mostly because cold weather makes your nose run and eyes dry and so we are touching and rubbing.

I cough down my shirt.