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Keeping Employees Healthy
Poor coughing and sneezing techniques spread
many diseases. Most people put their hands in front of their
mouths and noses to stop germs from getting into the air.
Unfortunately, this technique puts the germs on their hands. The
germs are then spread to telephones and doorknobs and many other
surfaces from which the next user then picks them up. This is
how colds spread quickly through schools and workplaces, and how
the flu spreads quickly through entire cities. It would be very
easy to cut this mode of infection drastically by simply getting
people to cough and sneeze properly.
The Centers for Disease Control of the U.S. and of several
states have put forth posters and public service announcements
trying to get people to change the way they cough and sneeze.
Only a small fraction of the population has adopted safe
techniques. With colds always around the corner, with
tuberculosis on the rise, and with bird flu threatening to
impair the health and welfare of the nation, all citizens should
adopt proper coughing and sneezing techniques.
This
five-minute video was designed to encourage people to
cough and sneeze according to the infection control guidelines
put forth by the Center for Disease Control. It is aimed at the
common citizen. Its message is serious, but it is presented with
humor in such a way that it engages the viewer's attention for a
full five minutes while the message is repeated in interesting
new ways. Individuals can enjoy it, but it is even more fun to
watch in groups, resulting in community reinforcement. It has
been used in hospitals and schools with great success. It
actually makes people change the way they cough and sneeze.
This video was produced with the assistance of three infectious
disease doctors, two hospitals, and the Maine Medical
Association, to whom the author is grateful. The author, Ben
Lounsbury MD, is an Ear, Nose and Throat physician.