# Why can't people cover their freaking mouth when they sneeze/cough? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 15, 2010, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-people-cover-their-freaking-mouth-when-they-sneeze-cough/536225 "2010-04-15T16:15:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mom-of-Andrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8c91f0/32.png) [@Mom-of-Andrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mom-of-Andrew)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-people-cover-their-freaking-mouth-when-they-sneeze-cough/536225/21 "2010-04-18T05:29:52Z")
I went to a hospital to have blood drawn once upon a time. The phlebotomist was telling me it was the end of her shift – she was about to go home but her boss made her stay to take my blood. She said she’d felt awful all day. She coughed into her hand a half a dozen times during the procedure. I asked her, as nicely as I was able under the circumstances, “Please don’t do that while you are opening up my vein.” ---
**Author:** ![ivn1188](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e480ec/32.png) [@ivn1188](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivn1188)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-people-cover-their-freaking-mouth-when-they-sneeze-cough/536225/22 "2010-04-18T07:01:21Z")
> [@alice\_in\_wonderland](#): > > I have to tell you, what you’re saying here is not what I thought you were saying here the first time I read it… And that was _completely_ intentional. Enjoy. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-people-cover-their-freaking-mouth-when-they-sneeze-cough/536225/23 "2010-04-18T23:27:01Z")
Why not cover your nose? Because you can not get any distance that way at all. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-people-cover-their-freaking-mouth-when-they-sneeze-cough/536225.md?page=1)