Trying Not to Get Sick? Science Says You’re Probably Doing It Wrong
Cold and flu viruses transfer in very different ways than we think
By Rachel Kaufman
smithsonian.com
December 13, 2016
It’s that time of year again: coughing, wheezy, sticky people all around you, and that dread in the pit of your stomach that you’re about to get sick. What do you do? Conventional wisdom says that to avoid spreading colds or the flu, you should wash your hands frequently—ideally using antibacterial soap—and cover your mouth when you cough.
But it turns out that sometimes, conventional wisdom is just wrong (sorry about that, mom!). We pored through scientific studies and talked to medical experts to find that some of these oft-repeated tips don’t tell the whole story—while others might actually be harmful. Here’s the truth about colds and the flu. (Spoiler: You should still cover your mouth when you cough.)
Read more:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/theres-more-to-fighting-flu-covering-your-mouth-180961404/#Zmxck2Y8Hj1VKmYT.99
