Has the way you think about spreading illness changed since Covid

And it’s been mentioned before, but hugging and kissing random people we meet in the street instead of just saying ‘hello’ is something I won’t start doing again.

Never wanted to do it, but looked standoffish if approached by an acquaintance, arms outstretched. Will just stand back now.

I think we need to be careful that being overly cautious does not mean we loose our natural immunity.

Of course if one is coughing and spluttering from an infection then consideration of other people is needed.

Yes absolutely. DGC now head straight for bathroom when they come in to hand wash. All DGC use "soap" sanitiser in shops as a matter of course and as soon as they get in the car. I found that made me sad at the start of the pandemic. Not so much now.

Sneezing and coughing away (tree pollen allergy) I've noticed people step sharply back - or swiftly walk away. I wear a mask in shops, on transport etc. but I really can't help it and can't stay at home. I feel as though I ought to wear a special allergy badge!

I also hope it has made people more careful about washing their hands after using the loo. The amount of people who don't bother or think that quickly wiggling the tips of their fingers under the tap will suffice is worrying.

I've always been keen on hygiene practises after catching Dysentry from shaking hands with someone? Who obviously did not practise it,and have suffered the consiquences ever since.
A relation who lived in the far east always used a mask when they had a cold like the people out there do.
Covid has highlighted the need for good hygene practises to a lot of people who disregarded it before. Such as managers who insisted you went into work.

Having family members and friends with various medical conditions, I've always been very aware of not 'spreading germs' when unwell and as a manager, I've always suggested to my team (with the support of senior leadership), if they are ill to stay at home.
Although unusual to catch it again. a few years ago my son became really ill with Chickenpox - almost requiring hospital treatment, he'd been at a wedding and later learnt that another guest had attended with a child who had the condition but was 'fine with it!'

I think it probably has, yes.
Along with that I do hope cafes and restaurants continue to be as vigilant with cleaning tables as they have been all through the pandemic.
Without being in any way paranoid, I will try to remember to always have a pack of anti-bac hand wipes with me.

Not only 'are they' spreading....

Ye this whole culture of staff being made to feel guilty if they stay at home with a bad cold, or like heroes if they struggle in, needs to stop. Not only a review spreading their germs around the office, but also around public transport.

It has now been proven that many aspects of any jobs can be undertaken remotely. Anyone who can do so should work from home and be allowed when they're coughing and sneezing.

Looking back I think the thing that has or ought to change is dragging yourself into work with a cold or flu, just so that you won’t let the company down, especially as you ended up just spreading it around.
Hopefully the days of managers making you feel guilty about having time off will have stopped.
If I have the sniffles I will definitely wear a mask, but I wear a mask shopping anyway.
All those years we’ve been watching the Japanese people wearing masks and wondering why they are so concerned about catching bugs. Now we know.

I have always covered my mouth when I cough and use handkerchiefs, normal hygiene ( which now seems not to be practiced by most members of the public). My mother's saying was ' coughs and sneezes spread diseases'. I will still be wearing my mask on public transport. The other day, man sitting behind me coughing all over. A mother with two small children, the children, running about the bus coughing all over everywhere. When I was working it really annoyed me the colleagues that would come in with a streaming cold and then pass it to everyone else. Ive always practiced good hygiene, since it doesn't seem to be taught in the home, perhaps it should be taught in schools.

I have asthma and hayfever too and feel obliged to explain to people, although I'm not going out much so only have to explain to the supermarket delivery guy

I had severe asthma when I was in my teens and dreaded anyone coming near me with a cold. If I caught a cold I would have an asthma attack and end up in hospital.
We should keep our infections to ourselves as there are people who can become seriously ill with what for most people are minor illnesses.

I have asthma too, and like GrannyGravy I feel obligated to explain if I cough or wheeze.

The last time I had a cough, sixteen years ago, it was asthma, not a cold.

Just seen grannygravy's post. People shouldn't assume they know what a cough is about.

I also sneeze my way through life but it's rhinitis. It might happen less if other people didn't wear such powerful perfumes and didn't wash their clothes in stinky detergents.

I think the pandemic has made people paranoid.

Yes it has. I certainly feel that mask wearing and better hand hygiene can reduce the chances of getting the common cold, flu, etc. I'm going to be more careful in future, for my own sake as well as other people's.

Certainly has! I used to deal with a cold by taking lemsip and battling on, but had one last week and didn't go near anyone in case I gave it to them.
I used to feel that germs are everywhere and it was a matter of me washing hands etc to make sure I didn't pick them up as far as possible, but more aware about my role in adding to the general germ pool now, especially as people seem to be more vulnerable now.

I would hope that it has certainly made a lot of people stop and think about this issue. Unless of course, you happen to be one of the rabid anti-maskers who don't care two hoots about spreading anything to anyone else...

I once had no qualms about going out and about with a cold but I do now. I am conscious that I would be spreading my germs and I don’t want to do that so I will stay home. I would also remove myself if I was close to a stranger who was coughing and sneezing in a public place. My way of thinking about spreading illness has certainly changed.

I am asthmatic and suffer from hay fever. I cough, wheeze and sneeze my way through life. I am beginning to feel uncomfortable every time I cough or sneeze now, and immediately explain to anyone in earshot.

I had a cold a few weeks ago and stayed at home till I was over it. I may not have done that pre-covid.
I wish people who have coughs and sneezes would avoid others or at least wear a mask if they have to go out.

I’ll be wearing a mask if I get a cold for starters and I certainly wouldn’t wander around coughing. Not that I did before, but I am more aware of how quickly others can become infected now. I also always use the hand cleaning liquid at every shop door since Covid.