What is the right way to cough or sneeze?

Key points about how to properly cough and sneeze

Learning how to cough and sneeze the right way helps stop the spread of colds, the flu and COVID-19. Whakamātihetihe te ihu ki te tuke.
Cough or sneeze into your elbow.
If your cough or sneeze is messy, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue.
Put the used tissue in a bin and wash your hands.
If you think you might have COVID-19, do a RAT and stay at home if you're coughing or sneezing.

Never cough or sneeze into your hands, if you have no tissue – use the top of your sleeve, or the pocket of your elbow. Just remember to wash your shirt/sweater afterwards – especially if there's mucus (snot) involved.

Infographic showing how to cough and sneeze into a tissue or your elbow

Image credit: Healthify He Puna Waiora

Coughing

Cough into your elbow. This keeps germs off your hands so you won’t spread them to other people and make them sick.

If you're sick and you're coughing up phlegm (mucus), cover your cough with a tissue. Put the used tissue into the bin. Wash and dry your hands. If you can't wash your hands, use hand sanitiser.

Sneezing

Sneeze into your elbow. This keeps germs off your hands so you won’t spread them to other people and make them sick.

If there's a lot of snot (hūpē), cover your sneeze with a tissue. Put the used tissue into the bin straight away. Then wash your hands and dry your hands.

Can I pinch my nose to stop the sneeze?

This can be dangerous, so don’t do it. The pressure can damage your eyes, nose, eardrums or throat.

Can I use a handkerchief instead of a tissue?

Handkerchiefs are more likely to spread germs than tissues are. Use tissues instead of cloth handkerchiefs. Put the used tissue into the bin straight away. Then wash and dry your hands.