AS little Tinotenda coughs, her mother quickly tells her to cover her mouth with her hands.
Obligingly, the little girl complies and she covers her mouth as she coughs.
Generally, not covering one’s mouth as you cough is a sign of bad manners.
Frankly, in Zimbabwe, it is a reflection of a poor up-bringing.
And, not shaking hands as you greet people could be a sign of pride.
At funerals, people shake hands as they pay their condolences to the bereaved families.
And, deals are sealed with the shaking of hands.
However, both methods multiply the spread of the flu virus.
It is winter in Zimbabwe and most people catch a cold which usually spreads faster.
According to The Daily Telegraph, those with a cold should sneeze into the crook of the elbow and not their hands, a virus expert has claimed.
Traditional advice to cover the mouth and nose actually encourages the spread of disease, says Professor John Oxford, because viruses are easily spread through touch.
He claims that by sneezing and coughing into the crook of the elbow or the sleeve, those with colds can minimise the spread of germs.
Professor Oxford, of Queen Mary Medical School in London, also says that basic hygiene measures have been forgotten in the fight against everyday infections with sufferers increasingly looking to science to cure their ills.
Ditching handkerchiefs in favour of disposable tissues also helps, but regularly washing hands with soap and water is most important, he told The Daily Telegraph.
Prof Oxford said: “The new etiquette should be to cough and sneeze into your elbow.
“It breaks the chain of transmission and you must wash your hands properly and regularly.
“You should sing ‘Happy Birthday’ twice over while washing your hands with hot water and soap, a quick squirt of cold water will not do it.
“The handkerchief can be a harbinger of unpleasant micro-organisms.
“Bacteria can multiply in them.”
Prof Oxford said that sneezing into a tissue is better, but germs will still escape.
He said about half of all common cold viruses are transmitted via the hands, with the rest caught by breathing in infected droplets that others have sneezed out.
Millions of Britons catch a cold or flu each year.
The thousands of viruses subtly change all the time, meaning that people’s immune systems cannot develop antibodies against all of them.
There is no cure for the common cold, although there are medicines that reduce the symptoms of flu.
There is also an annual flu vaccination programme for the over-65s and those with chronic conditions such as asthma or heart disease, or those who have a lowered immune system because of cancer, for example.
This scheme has been very successful in limiting the number of vulnerable people who catch flu, which still contributes to the deaths of about 25 000 patients each year.
Establishing good health habits now can help your body stay healthy and fight off the flu and other illnesses.
Follow these tips to keep your body healthy to help fight off the flu should you get it.
Eat a balanced diet including plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole grain products.
Drink plenty of water and go easy on salt, sugar, alcohol and saturated fat.
Exercise regularly.
Thirty or more minutes of physical activity most days of the week can help boost your immunity.
Get plenty of rest.
Sleep is shown to help your body fight off illness.
Try not to touch your eyes, nose or mouth.
Germs are often spread this way.
Stay away from people who are sick as much as you can.
– Source: The Daily Telegraph