After coughing or sneezing, what should you do with your hands?

After coughing or sneezing, what should you do with your hands?

• A. Clean hands
• B. Put on gloves
• C. Use sanitizer
• D. Wash with hot water

Answer: (A)

After coughing or sneezing, your hands can carry respiratory droplets that contain germs. Cleaning them right away reduces the number of germs on your skin and lowers the risk of spreading infections to others or to your own face later. The most effective routine is washing with soap and water for about 20 seconds, which physically removes germs and debris from the skin. If a sink isn’t available, using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer (with at least 60% alcohol) is a good alternative, but it’s not as reliable when hands are visibly dirty or contaminated with mucus. Wearing gloves doesn’t clean your hands and can create a false sense of cleanliness; gloves are used for specific tasks and you should still wash or sanitize hands when appropriate. Washing with soap and water remains the best practice for thorough cleanliness after coughing or sneezing.

After coughing or sneezing, your hands can carry respiratory droplets that contain germs. Cleaning them right away reduces the number of germs on your skin and lowers the risk of spreading infections to others or to your own face later. The most effective routine is washing with soap and water for about 20 seconds, which physically removes germs and debris from the skin. If a sink isn’t available, using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer (with at least 60% alcohol) is a good alternative, but it’s not as reliable when hands are visibly dirty or contaminated with mucus. Wearing gloves doesn’t clean your hands and can create a false sense of cleanliness; gloves are used for specific tasks and you should still wash or sanitize hands when appropriate. Washing with soap and water remains the best practice for thorough cleanliness after coughing or sneezing.