OtterKnow Kids EncyclopediaWhen you cough or sneeze, tiny droplets fly out of your mouth and nose! If you are sick, those droplets can carry germs that might make other people sick too. That is why it is so important to cover your coughs and sneezes.
The best way to cover a cough or sneeze is to use the inside of your elbow, not your hands. If you use your hands, the germs can spread to everything you touch afterward. You can also use a tissue and then throw it away right after. Always wash your hands after you sneeze or cough!
Covering up is a simple way to be kind to the people around you and help everyone stay well. When you cover your cough, you stop germs from floating through the air to other people. This helps keep your friends, family, and classmates healthy!
- A sneeze can send droplets flying up to 26 feet through the air!
- That is almost as long as a school bus.
- When you sneeze, the air comes out of your nose very fast — up to about 35 miles per hour.
- Covering your sneeze catches most of those droplets before they can spread!
