Using your non-dominant hand
There is no scientific literature to support using your non-dominant hand to address your sneeze, and then preferring your dominant hand if you need to handle objects before you're able to wash both hands. We just think it makes sense, because you're going to need to use one of your hands. Interestingly, in many cultures, such as in India, the left hand is seen as a contaminated hand and performs "dirty" daily activities; consequently, one never greets another person with that hand.
Ideally, after sneezing you shouldn't handle anything but should immediately throw away the tissue and wash both hands fastidiously. In a perfect world, bathrooms would be everywhere, they wouldn't have doors, and all sinks would be motion-activated. Since this isn't the case, and the ideal of not touching anything after you sneeze until you thoroughly wash your hands isn't always going to be possible, we recommend using your dominant and non-dominant hands, as well as your shirt sleeve in the fashion we describe above. Keeping hand sanitizer in your pocket or purse will also help mitigate the unavailability of bathrooms.
Being coughed on or sneezed on
At some point during an influenza pandemic, someone may cough or sneeze near you, or perhaps on you. During Phase 6, this is the pandemic influenza equivalent of having unprotected sex. Avoid it. It would be better if it hadn't happened, but once it has, it's good to know how you might mitigate your risk of contracting influenza and your potential for spreading it further. There is no formal scientific literature in this area, so what follows is our carefully considered opinion based on the best knowledge that exists.
Be polite
Don't flip out. Don't panic, and don't become hostile toward the person who just coughed or sneezed on you. There's no point. Once it's happened, it's happened. Perhaps the sneezer just has allergies. But you may also have been exposed to influenza. If you have just been exposed but no virus has entered your mucous membranes, you may not yet have contracted influenza.
You could ask the person if he is ill, but this is optional. The answer shouldn't change what you do. Our opinion is that during Phase 6 of a pandemic, you should treat any situation in which someone directly coughs or sneezes on you the same way. If the cough or sneeze reached your hands or belongings, wash them carefully.
Be especially sure to give your hands a thorough washing before you touch your own eyes, nose, or mouth. What if someone has coughed or sneezed in your face? First, wash your hands. Then wash your face thoroughly. You may choose to rinse your eyes and mouth. Be sure to wash your hands carefully before touching your face, because if your hands are contaminated, there's no point introducing contamination to your face in your attempt to clean it.
Excerpted from The Flu Pandemic and You: A Canadian Guide by Vincent Lam, M.D. and Colin Lee, M.D. Copyright 2006 Vincent Lam and Colin Lee. Reprinted by permission of Doubleday Canada.
