Georgia CPR usually covers topics of immediate first aid and CPR care for those who’s lives depend on that treatment. Having said that, we all have down time due to illness. Sneezes and coughs are often the culprit. It’s nothing but sad when you have to suffer through a summer cold while the family frolics in the waves on that beach trip! Know a bit about coughing and sneezing, take some self care actions and dodge those germs!

The CDC contributes the transmission of mild to some pretty serious diseases to coughing and sneezing. They state that illnesses like influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), whooping cough, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) are spread by coughing and sneezing and by unclean hands.

Thousands die per year, that’s every year, from influenza, or flu. Those are the deaths. Not mentioned are the countless work or school hours lost from careless personal conduct.

Facts that many don’t know about coughing and sneezing:

• Sneezes create wind about 100MPH!
• Sneezes can shower bystanders with germs many feet away!
• Coughs can create wind 60MPH

What can you do?

When you start coughing and sneezing, one or the other or both, launch them into the inside of your elbow. Don’t cough and sneeze into your hand! You are just going to spread the joy to everyone. We all touch the same stuff you just touched with your germy hands.

2 fun (gross) facts about hand washing:

• 95% of people don’t wash their hands correctly!
• Over half of men don’t even use soap!

After you pull yourself together from coughing and sneezing, go wash your hands. Here’s how:

• Put them under warm water
• Apply soap
• Scrub for AT LEAST 20 seconds – yea, it’s just 20 but seems like a lifetime
• Use a clean towel to dry them
• THEN use that towel or your elbow to turn off the water

So when you roll into a bout of coughing and sneezing – cover up that blow hole and then go wash your hands!