Think about others on public transport.

The Japanese have a good idea. They wear a medical mask probably to protect themselves from other people’s bad manners.
So few people think about anyone but themselves not only on public transport but I have seen just to many people sneezing or coughing over food in the supermarkets.

This is a real problem for me too as I suffer from bronchiectasis. Smokers who insist on smoking in an enclosed space, particularly in this cold weather and at a covered bus stop are a real problem as I have to stand out in the cold and rain or I start coughing.

I must admit I wouldn’t be happy if I saw someone coughing away without covering their mouths, and as I have to take immunosuppressants myself and yes would want to move away, but I would never call anyone however big there were a brick shithouse charming!! I carry a hand gel around don’t know whether it actually makes much difference, but yes lots of ppl cough and sneeze without covering their mouths

I've just sneezed while reading this thread! Luckily, I'm at home and managed to contain it otherwise I might find it reported on GN.

It's bad manners to not use a tissue or cover one's mouth when coughing & sneezing but I wonder if those are just social niceties rather than scientific ways of stopping germs from spreading? If you sneeze into your hand, you'll then put germs into handrails or doors and others will pick up the bugs from those instead.

If you're vulnerable to infection, it would be better to protect yourself with a surgical mask or use a scarf, because plenty of non-sneezers and coughers will be spreading their germs around, too.

On the subject of whether to offer someone a tissue if they're sniffing, I had to sit next to someone for eight hours on a plane recently while they sniffed for the entire time! I wasn't brave enough to offer a tissue but it was most offputting. I didn't get a cold afterwards so I think it must have been a habit rather than an illness so I feel sorry for his work colleagues!

I'm with the 'offer a tissue' brigade

I can't help wondering just how effective -or otherwise - a lot of our attempts not to spread germs are.

For instance, if we cover our mouth with our hand when we cough or sneeze ( there's often not enough time to get a tissue out of its packet), we are still likely to then spread the germs, unless we immediately clean our hands before touching anything else.
But how do we do that? If we use antibacterial gel on our hands, how do we open it without touching it and probably transferring germs onto the outside of the bottle (or packet if you use wipes)?
(I suppose we should all be doing what my DGC have been taught at school, which is to cough into their sleeve, not their hand.)

I get Maw's reason for wearing gloves to help protect against germs, but I would struggle to make that work for me - I can't really see how the germs are less harmful on the gloves than on the hands, and I think I would struggle even to take the gloves off afterwards - and put them in thecwashing machine - without transferring some of those germs they have collected onto my hands. And I would have to take them off to get coins (germ-ridden things that they are!) out of my purse.

I really feel for those who are in real danger from everyday germs, as it must be both difficult and very frightening to have to try to avoid them.

Good point, Calendar girl. I’m astonished at the number of people who don’t carry hankies/tissues, and just rely on sniffing.

But surely sniffing must be far more hygienic than nose-blowing, as all the germs in that person's nose stay in their body, unlike the ones that get onto hankies or tissues, then pockets, hands ... .

I have a compromised immune system and bronchiectasis so am always looking for tips to avoid infection. My heart sinks if I’m with someone with a streaming cold and sneezing and it’s very difficult to avoid them politely. Also, I find log burners really irritate my lungs and am surprised how popular they are.

I, too, am very susceptible to infections caught from sneezes/door handles etc.

I had the best winter last year after:
like MamaCaz, ensuring I encouraged friends and family to sneeze into their elbows;
washing hands for 20 seconds when returning home;
using petroleum jelly in nostrils when on public transport/theaters, etc;
taking daily vitimin D.

I obviously have no concrete evidence that the above measures work but they worked for me last winter. Time will tell...

If everyone sneezed into elbows, germs would not work their way into society quite so readily and much suffering would be alleviated.

Many times I've offered an Kleenex/tissue and they have been received with thanks. People sneezing, sniffling and coughing. Never once has anyone been embarrassed. I will carry on doing that. Plus, I make sure I always have a packet of tissues on me in case I have a problem!

@4allwe know - Lung conditions aren't always caused by smoking. I have severe bronchiectasis, which means I cough a lot. Caused by whooping cough when I was three. Don't be so judgemental!

I cannot bear to hear people sniff, sniff, sniffing, and as for gulping down nosefulls of phlegm, (apologies if you’re eating), unbearable. When I have a cold, am always blowing my nose to stop the p....m going down into my chest.
When DD was small, she blew her nose when having a routine examination by the school doctor. I was present, and he said that you shouldn’t blow your nose, just swallow it all, there was very little the body couldn’t deal with. I said she had been taught to blow her nose, and when we left the room, I told her to keep blowing and take no notice of what he had said.

Whoa folk getting very judgmental here!