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“Coughs and Sneezes Spread Diseases”

By 

René F. Najera, DrPH

February 2, 2020

You've probably heard the phrase that “coughs and sneezes spread diseases.” It's a phrase that has been widely used by to spread the message that airborne viruses and bacteria are spread more easily through airborne droplets. I was curious as to where this phrase originated, and I found a series of videos from the 1940s created by the British National Health Service. Take a look... This one is from 1943: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W728NGYhmmQ This one is from 1946: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGop2QiSWLU This one is from 1947: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWyzS9TJg9g More recent ones include this one from the World Health Organization: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXHm5sGeit8

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