# Coughing/sneezing into your HAND!?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coughing-sneezing-into-your-hand/49640>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [January 12, 2001, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coughing-sneezing-into-your-hand/49640 "2001-01-12T03:59:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![KJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b2d939/32.png) [@KJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KJ)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2001, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coughing-sneezing-into-your-hand/49640/1 "2001-01-12T03:59:22Z")

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(This is sort of a rant that could’ve gone into The BBQ Pit, but I sort of arbitrarily decided to put it in IMHO.)

Everywhere I go, whenever I see people cough or sneeze (mostly sneezing) I always see them do it into their hand. _why!?!_ From what I’ve heard, more colds/flus are spread through hand contact than any other way. Who the hell thought of the idea of sneezing and getting all your snotty goo on your HAND!? It doesn’t make any sense to me. Personally, I always cough into my shoulder/elbow, where nobody’s probably going to touch it. Sneezing into hand is just as bad / worse than just sneezing into the air, as far as I can tell. And it’s just gross, considering how many things you touch with your hand (think about it!)

And, since this is IMHO, I’ll sort of poll you guys; which is it? Hand, shoulder/elbow, or, um, “other?”

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**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2001, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coughing-sneezing-into-your-hand/49640/2 "2001-01-12T05:34:00Z")

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I’m closing this thread, **KJ**. As sometimes happens, great minds run in the same channels. Gutters. Clinics.

By chance, the topic is already under lively discussion elsewhere:  
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=54871](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=54871)

Since that thread is well under way, I’m closing this one to eliminate duplication.

Considering what they’re eliminating–and how–well, I’m just gonna tap a few keys and go spray my entire body with Lysol.

Veb