Swine Flu changing any sneezing habits?

[ArwinAdviceCenter]

Just wondering, with this whole swine flu outbreak, has anyone here changed their sneezing habits or sneezing style? Have you noticed anyone else around you sneezing differently? For instance, do you notice people covering their mouths with a tissue more often, or sneezing into their sleeves more often? Have you seen an increase in stifled sneezes?

For me personally, I've noticed a change in one particular person who I've worked with for 7 years. She is a middle aged woman who sneezes ALOT and she has always sneezed very loudly. Although she has always covered her nose and mouth when she sneezed, she would usually sneeze into her hands. Right about the time when the news started talking alot about the swine flu, I noticed that she started sneezing into her sleeve rather than into her hands. Now, in the last few days, she's gone a step further. I've noticed that she sneezes into her sleeve when working alone at her desk, but actually pinches her nose shut and sneezes silently whenever other people are around. Don't know for sure if it's the swine flu that caused this change, but it does seem like a possible cause of her new sneezing habits. I hope she doesn't blow out an eardrum while stifling her sneezes to stop the spread of germs. Her sneezes are naturally very powerful!

For those who don't typically cover up when they sneeze, now would probably be a good time to start! I still see alot of people just spraying out into the air when they sneeze and not even trying to cover up at all.

[Bubbles]

I haven't noticed any changes yet, but I'm sure it will happen as people become terrified, and I'm surprised a topic like this hasn't been discussed yet, since our fetish is the very thing that spreads these diseases!

[The Mute Poet]

It's a bit scary to see that nearly half of all the new youtube videos tagged with "sneeze" now have to do with the swine flu... I daresay that it could eventually lead to a decline in uncovered sneezes, at least in those areas where people are most at risk. I haven't personally noticed a change in trends yet, but then Canada is only just started to be affected by all the "pandemic" craziness, so who knows what the future might hold.

[Vetinari]

On the UK news the advice has been either to use a tissue and dispose of it immediately or sneeze into your sleeve. Until now it has always been socially perfectly acceptable to sneeze into hands and then not clean them. It may be that this will change people's habits....for a while at least. It had crossed my mind that uncovered sneezes in public places would lead to extreme disapproval while the panic is on.

[aquadyne14]

I'm not sure that the whole swine thing will change habits all that much in the grand scheme of things. SARS was airbourne too (if i remember correctly) and even though there was a bit of an alteration at the time, it didn't really do anything to change most people's habits on the whole. either way, just gives us all an excuse to watch even more and blame it on 'research' if we are caught catching a glimpse

[Vetinari]

SARS was airborne but a whole lot less contagious, started in a place with good disease control and therefore never really spread. I don't recall any serious publicity related to sneezing and SARS either. Don't sit too close when you're doing your 'research' ( ) into uncovered sneezes!

[Anonymouse]

I agree with the Mute Poet, it's unnerving to be reminded of swine flu everytime you look for safe sneeze material on the internet. I'm a sneeze fetishist who's also a germophobe, so it's a really weird time for me. Normally colds and stuff like that don't bother me if people I care about/find attractive have them, but when it's total strangers in my classes sneezing and coughing continuously with this whole swine flu thing I get almost angry at them. I've been learning in my biology class that they believe the disease is transmitted mainly by physical contact (which is why I've been washing my hands constantly and not touching anyone except my boyfriend who I make sure is clean) so I know I shouldn't be that scared of anyone coughing or sneezing as long as they're covering it and not touching me, but it's still really uncomfortable. Anyone else in the same boat? I miss when I could enjoy sneezes without fearing them.

ETA: And this is allergy season. I'm supposed to be relishing in these moments, not wondering if everytime someone coughs or sneezes it's allergies or a deadly virus.

[zneeze]

The only change I've noticed is that now some of my friends' new way of blessing people is saying "omigod SWINE FLU!" I myself have been sucked into all this "pandemic craziness," as Mute put it; I even updated my Facebook status to "ZOMG SWINE FLU" (original, ain't it?).

As for what you were saying, though, if this whole outbreak business resulted in more people acting hygenic, I'd call that a good thing. Plus, sleeve sneezing is pretty sexy if you ask me (not that anyone did)

Now that the topic has been brought up, I have to ask: Wasn't this how bird flu was supposed to end up in 2005-2006? That was rumored to possibly become this huge pandemic, yet it sorta withered away without nearly enough media coverage as this.

[Nevyn]

Tens of thousands of people die in the US every year from flu. Do the people currently going "OMG Swine flu!!!" when someone sneezes normally go "OMG regular flu!!!" the rest of the time? I doubt it.

I'm generally in favour of being hygienic, and sneezing "safely" is fine with me, but seeing a pretty person with allergies is no cause for getting all worried about pandemics. Let's not give in to the media hysteria just yet

[Vetinari]

Now that the topic has been brought up, I have to ask: Wasn't this how bird flu was supposed to end up in 2005-2006? That was rumored to possibly become this huge pandemic, yet it sorta withered away without nearly enough media coverage as this.

The media made a huge fuss about avian flu because when it passes into humans it is currently deadly. It never started to be passed from person to person though. Those affected worked closely with birds and almost exclusively caught it from the birds directly. This type appears to pass easily from person to person, hence the rapid spread. SARS was another which failed to take off because it was not that easily transmissible and started in a place where disease control was good.

The reason people are scared is because history tells us that occasionally flu pandemics can be far more deadly than the flu which circulates regularly. Look up Spanish Flu' if you want info on the worst recorded case. In addition though so much illness could have a significant effect on business and the economy. The biggest difference from standard flu is that it is new and people don't have immunity and thus instead of odd people being infected there is a strong possibilty of half the population in any given area being ill at the same time including in vital areas such as the health sector. There's no point in panicking (on the priciple that there's nothing much you can usefully do) but equally it's not something to be joked about because everything is up in the air. The truth is even the experts are guessing.

Bet there won't be any sneezing uncovered on public transport for a while.......there may be a lynch mob. The new information video in the UK is designed to disgust and shows spread from sneezing into hands in quite a grim way. I think the disgust factor might have an effect. Most normal people have never thought about that aspect.

[lovelysneeze]

As a person living in a state where the swine flu isn't the HUGEST concern, I have to say that the media is overreacting about this. The swine flu is the EXACT SAME THING as a regular flu, but there's no vaccine for it. Sure, people die from it, but over 36,000 people in the US die from a regular flu each year. It's only feared because it has a different name and it originated from somewhere else, you know? Plus, it gives the media something to talk about.

On the other hand in reply to zsneeze, I've also noticed my friends commenting something about the swine flu everytime someone sneezes. It's pretty amusing, if you ask me.

[Helter Skelter]

You guys should go look up what happened with the Spanish flu. Off the top of my head: there was a milder outbreak in the spring/summer and then everyone thought it wouldn't be that bad. Then it came back in the Autumn much more virulent. I'm not saying this is going to be anything as bad as the Spanish flu obviously but equally just because not much has happened yet doesn't mean we're in the all-clear, so to speak. I'm not panicking at all but it's still early, you know?

Also trust me as someone who lived in Beijing during SARS- it still sucked and it wasn't even very contagious (although everyone also knows the government wasn't honest about the actual number of cases/deaths). Everyone was pretty scared/confused, tons of people just left, LOADS of stores and businesses were closed for months, school was closed, a lot of the time the streets were practically empty (for Beijing, anyway). It was totally bizarre. And because both of parents were working in public healthcare, our family DID know several people who got very sick (didn't die, fortunately) and basically I'm not looking forward to possibly living in the same type of atmosphere again because it's pretty sucky regardless of whether you/anyone you know gets sick. Also yeah one of the things with pandemics, it's not just "ZOMG we're all gonna die" but also the effect that so many people falling ill has on the economy and the healthcare system.

Even though I think the media is being a bit ridiculous with all this "DEADLY NEW VIRUS" stuff, I can't really laugh at this. I dunno...I just don't find it funny. And I can't sit there after ONE WEEK and go "oh, well, hardly anyone's died so far, I guess it's okay, everyone is just overreacting." because we don't know what will happen. I just think it's better to be safe than sorry, if that makes sense.

Sorry for being off-topic.

Anyway, I live in Asia where it's pretty much already the norm to cover your sneezes and wear a mask if you're sick...I haven't noticed many changes there really.

[WLF2226]

now the world hates us (mexicans) and now that I'm on vacation have seen anyone sneezing freely on the streets or any public place

I hope this end soon. Is terrible all what it's happeniing here. you may can imagine....

... and yes... this made that this year there be no new sneezes from Denisse (besides other thinks that I can`t tell)

[Mf1611]

i don't see a difference in people sneezing they all seem to sneeze the same weather the swine flu is here or not i never see many people stifle there sneezes i would love to see more of it

[High on Lullabies]

In TheLondonPaper (local free paper given out around London in the evening) tonight, they had a picture of a girl wearing a t-shirt that said 'I have allergies, not swine flu!'. I was hoping it would be posted on their website too, but I can't find it.

[Hankysneeze]

The only thing that i have noticed is that when people have sneezed around me they normally follow it up by saying " dont worry its not swine flu!"

[Guest poppyd]

i think people aren't saying 'bless you' any more... but i could just be imagining that!