CDC: Flu reaches epidemic in Florida and most states; 837 deaths reported

[Warpy]

53. Well, it will remind them not to touch their faces with their fingers

but a soggy face mask isn't much protection against droplets and they do get soggy. In addition, if you remove one and then touch your face, you've just infected yourself that way.

The best bet is to touch your face with the back of your wrist if something itches when you're out, especially when you're shopping with a germy shopping cart, then wash your hands as soon as you get in the door. If you do get sick and you're out, do the rest of the world a big favor and cough or sneeze into your elbow instead of a tissue or your hand, the elbow stops the droplets dead.

Most colds and flu are caught from surfaces, carried to mucus membranes on the face by fingers. They can also be caught from droplets from people who won't cover their faces when they cough or sneeze, that's how I caught the one that almost killed me.

However, you can dodge most of them by keeping your fingers away from your face. That's what I do and it keeps me reasonably healthy, even in the supermarket full of germy little kids.