Policy

Staff should promote respiratory and cough hygiene, helping those who need assistance with this, for example, providing patients with tissues, plastic bags for used tissues, and hand hygiene facilities as necessary.  

The following guidelines are to be followed:

• Cover the nose and mouth with a disposable tissue when sneezing, coughing, wiping, and blowing the nose. If a disposable tissue is unavailable, use your elbow to cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing.

• Patients with respiratory illness symptoms should be encouraged to wear a surgical face mask when clinically safe and tolerated by the wearer.

• Dispose of used tissues and face masks promptly into a waste bin.

• In the absence of disposable tissues and hand hygiene facilities only, individuals should cough or sneeze into their elbow/sleeve.

• Wash hands with non-antimicrobial liquid soap and warm water after coughing, sneezing, using tissues, or after contact with respiratory secretions or objects contaminated by these secretions.

• Where running water is unavailable or hand hygiene facilities are lacking, staff may use hand wipes followed by ABHR, then wash their hands at the first available opportunity.

• Keep contaminated hands away from the eyes, nose, and mouth.