HLTNF001: Cough Etiquette Measures to Prevent Respiratory Infections

This report, HLTNF001, delves into the critical topic of cough etiquette and its role in preventing the spread of respiratory infections. The study highlights several key measures, including the proper use of tissues when coughing or sneezing, emphasizing the importance of discarding them in designated dustbins to maintain hygiene. It also underscores the significance of hand hygiene, particularly the use of hand sanitizers, to eliminate microorganisms and reduce the risk of transmission. Furthermore, the report discusses the role of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as face masks, in minimizing exposure to infectious agents. The conclusion stresses the vital role of cough etiquette in decreasing the transmission of respiratory infections and advocates for the consistent application of these measures in various settings, including healthcare facilities and public spaces, to promote overall health and well-being. This report uses multiple sources, including journals and books, to provide a detailed analysis of the topic.

HLTNF001

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Measures to avoid the spread of respiratory secretions and promoting cough etiquettes ...........3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION
Prevention of respiratory or infectious disease by some measures is known as cough
etiquette (Song and Yang, 2017). This present study is going to show some measures of cough
etiquettes such as using tissues and throwing them in dustbin, hand sanitizer and others. It will
also discuss the extent to which all measures can prevent people against respiratory infectious
diseases.
MAIN BODY
Measures to avoid the spread of respiratory secretions and promoting cough etiquettes
Cough etiquette: Cough etiquette and respiratory hygiene can be described as infection
prevention measures for decreasing transmission of respiratory illness. For preventing people
from spread of respiratory infections such as: cold virus, influenza, some measures are being
taken that is known as cough etiquette (Chavis and Ganesh, 2020).
In this Covid-19 situation and people who visit hospitals, required to mainly focus on
cough and respiratory hygiene etiquettes from prevention against sever illness. There are some
measures that can be used by people and authorized institutes for preventing people against
spread of infectious disease.
Using tissues or handkerchief: It is one of the common and effective ways or measures
of cough etiquette. By making use of hand tissues while sneezing and coughing and throwing
them in dustbin can help people in maintaining hygiene. It is important for authorized person to
control and monitor this measure. For controlling and monitoring they require viewing and
making sure that boxes of tissue paper in hospitals and waiting areas are filled or not empty.
They also require having dustbins in all departments, specially in waiting area (Wolff, 2020). All
these monitoring and controlling ways can make this measure successful and by using tissues in
an effective manner, cough etiquette can be maintained. It can help both people and hospitals in
preventing people against spread of infectious diseases to some or medium extent. It can reduce
risks to significant extent.
Hand sanitizer: It is other effective measure of cough etiquette and can help people from
transmission of infectious disease. Hand hygiene is the most critical element in preventing
transfer of microorganisms to the environment and to other people. By shaking hands and
touching anywhere, people can increase rate of transmission of infectious disease. Performing
hand hygiene with hand sanitizer after sneezing, coughing, touching body fluids, contaminated

items and unhygienic place. Hand sanitizer can kill microorganisms within seconds so, by proper
using this, cough etiquettes can be maintained. This measure of respiratory hygiene can prevent
people to the great extent. High risks can be reduced with this effective measure. It is also
important for authorized institutions where clients wait for longer time such as hospitals, offices
and others, controlling this measure (Biswas and et.al., 2019). For proper controlling and
monitoring they can make sure that clients come in waiting area have used hand sanitizers and
bottles of hand sanitizers are filled. Offices and hospitals can sanitize their premises as it can also
help in maintaining cough etiquette.
Using protective equipments: Using face mask, hand gloves and eye wear can also prevent
people from transmission of infectious diseases. People who wear face mask in proper and
continuous manner are less likely to get affected from infectious diseases. One of the main
example can be shown in this era and situation of Covid-19. It is one of the standard and
universal prevention or measure of cough etiquette (Wood and et.al., 2018). Personal protective
equipments (PPE) is specially designed for protecting people from exposure or to contact with
infectious agents. But it is important of having knowledge of wearing PPE as proper manner can
help in reducing skin contamination. PPE covers all areas from where infectious disease or
microorganisms can enter easily such as nose, hands and eye. So, it can be said that wearing os
masks is one of the best measure or way of maintaining cough etiquette. It can reduces risks to
the great extent. For controlling and monitoring it is important to make wearing masks
compulsory by hospitals and offices for all people that visit institutes.
It is also stated that for better precautions and maintaining cough etiquettes, people can
use supplemented precautions with transmission based precautions. It improves overall health of
people and lead to healthy society.
CONCLUSION
It has been summarized from the above study that cough etiquette plays a vital role as it
can decrease spread of respiratory infection. Using tissues while sneezing, coughing, using hand
sanitizer in continuous manner and after sneezing, coughing, touching hospitals tools, walls and
others are some measures that this study has discussed.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Biswas, D. and et.al., 2019. Effectiveness of a Behavior Change Intervention with Hand Sanitizer
Use and Respiratory Hygiene in Reducing Laboratory-Confirmed Influenza among
Schoolchildren in Bangladesh: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial. The American
Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 101(6). pp.1446-1455.
Chavis, S. and Ganesh, N., 2020. Respiratory Hygiene and Cough Etiquette. In Infection Control
in the Dental Office (pp. 91-103). Springer, Cham.
Song, M.S. and Yang, N.Y., 2017. Knowledge and compliance with cough etiquette among
elderly in the community. Journal of Korean Academic Society of Home Health Care
Nursing. 24(1). pp.52-60.
Wolff, R., 2020. No Cover-Up Here: A Descriptive Study of Observations of Coughing on
Hands and the Lack of Proper Respiratory Hygiene Behaviors or Cough Etiquette.
Available at SSRN 3565981.
Wood, M.E. and et.al., 2018. Face masks and cough etiquette reduce the cough aerosol
concentration of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in people with cystic fibrosis.American
journal of respiratory and critical care medicine. 197(3). pp.348-355.
1

2