Dom Post: Wellingtonians ‘grossed out’ swine flu team

Kate Newton writes in the Dominion Post about University of Otago researchers’ finding that last year’s public health campaign around preventing the spread of flu was largely ineffective in Wellington.

Most people, observed at Wellington railway station, a central city foodcourt and Wellington Hospital, ignored even the most basic of messages, such as covering their mouth when coughing or sneezing.

An excerpt: (read in full here)

“Just one in 20 covered their coughs and sneezes using recommended measures – such as a tissue or the crook of their elbow – during the health scare.

“Researchers were especially “grossed out” by people in cafeterias coughing over food, and people caring for a child coughing over the child’s face.

“They were perturbed to see several people also spitting inside Wellington Hospital, Dr Wilson said.”