HONG KONG (Reuters) – The next time you cough or sneeze, there is good reason to cover your mouth.

As many as 20,000 viruses are expelled in an average cough, which may be sufficient to infect many people — particularly those who are not vaccinated.

Julian Tang, a consultant at Singapore’s National University Hospital’s Division of Microbiology, said as many as 3,000 tiny droplets are produced in a standard cough.

Using previous research on influenza viral loads in nasal secretions, and assuming that each coughed airborne droplet measures between 1 to 5 micrometers in diameter, that adds up to many, many viruses in a single cough.

A micrometer, or micron, is one millionth of a meter, or one thousandth of a millimeter.

"Based on this research and assuming about 3,000 droplets are produced per cough, this range of influenza viruses produced per cough is about 195 to 19,500," Tang told Reuters.

He added that this figure of 3,000 droplets refers to those that remain suspended in the air for considerable periods — long enough to infect people.

"this (3,000) is also the number of droplets estimated to remain suspended in air for long periods — so-called droplet nuclei. Larger droplets carrying influenza viruses may also be produced during a cough, but these will fall to the ground relatively quickly and will no longer be considered to be significant in the airborne transmission of influenza," he said.

With a new H1N1 influenza virus spreading around the world, governments in many countries have revived advertisements entreating people to observe personal hygiene.

In Indonesia, a slick TV advertisement features a young woman remonstrating a suitor at a village sing-a-long, telling him to get to a health clinic because "that’s not a normal cough."

Aimed at the poorly-educated masses, the adverts are set to a dangdut (traditional pop music) theme and feature an easy-to-remember slogan and theme song.

However, experts are uncertain as to what constitutes an infective dose when it comes to influenza viruses.

But as a guide, previous research has found that it takes just one to 10 organisms to cause viral hemorrhagic fevers, and 10 to 100 organisms to cause viral encephalitis.

Tang said an infective dose of flu virus would depend on a variety of factors, such as the constitution of people breathing in these droplets and whether they had been vaccinated.

"it is difficult to give an exact number for the infectious dose — and this may even differ for the same individual throughout the year. but probably for immune people, the infectious dose will be higher than for non-immune people — hence, the benefits of vaccination," Tang said.

"those previously vaccinated or naturally infected to the same or similar virus can develop a rapid antibody response and clear the virus in the respiratory tract before the virus can take hold and cause disease."

"(But) even immune hosts may develop symptoms if the viral load exposure is sufficiently high," he added.

Doctors say most airborne flu transmissions occur within a one meter range, although it can also be transmitted by direct contact with contaminated objects, like toys.

"Wearing masks may well help to reduce the transmission of these infections, as well as covering the mouth with your hand or a tissue when coughing or sneezing — simply by using a barrier to prevent dissemination of the virus," Tang said.

(Additional reporting by Sunanda Creagh in Jakarta; Editing by Valerie Lee)

© Copyright (c) Reuters

Question by Kara: the ten Millionth “Could I be pregnant” question?My last period was on Nov. 30, so I know it’s too early to tell with a home pregnancy test, so I just wanted to get some opinions. here are the details:

my husband and I had sex on Dec 8, but he pulled out before he came. I know all about precum, so I know it’s possible to get pregnant that way, but assuming I’m completely normal, I wouldn’t have been ovulating at the time anyway. We then had sex on Dec 11, the day that I was (supposedly) ovulating, and he didn’t pull out this time. I went to the doctor the next morning for a routine physical, they didn’t do a blood test, but a urine test showed no signs of pregnancy. Obviously, it wouldn’t show so early in the game. but now I am starting to have weird symptoms. A sharp pain near my left ovary, constipation, cramps, frequent urination, nausea, and I am having trouble sleeping at night. I feel as though if I were pregnant, it is far too soon to be having symptoms …assuming I got pregnant the day I was ovulating.

Is it possible that I could have actually gotten pregnant from the 8th, three days before I started ovulating, and that’s why I’m already have symptoms? Because even if I were pregnant, science would dictate that implantation only happened …yesterday, maybe? Doesn’t it take 3-4 days after the sperm meets the egg for the embryo to latch onto the uterus?

Things just aren’t adding up. I’ve been trying to read about it online, but everything is so contradicting and every woman is different and since this would be my first pregnancy, I have nothing to compare it to. I truly feel, either day it happened, it is still too soon to take a test, since my period isn’t due until Dec 26th. but wondering and worrying about it is driving me up a wall. I am also concerned that by just thinking that I could be pregnant, I am allowing my symptoms to get worse, only making me believe I’m pregnant even more, when I could be just fine. At this point, I’ve thought about it so much in just a few (long) days, that I don’t think I’d be too happy to find out that I wasn’t pregnant, which is another reason I’m avoiding home pregnancy tests. It’s so early, I am pretty sure it’ll give me a negative and it’ll just be a waste of money.

But I’ve been kind of a hypochondriac about things in the past. never about pregnancy, but other ailments. and I really don’t want to work myself up into this idea of being pregnant any more than I already have if I am, in fact, not pregnant and these symptoms are just in my head.

I guess I don’t even know why I’m asking. I know all you can really tell me is that it’s possible and that I just have to wait 11 more days for my period to take a test or to go see a doctor. I suppose I just needed to vent about it since it’s eating away at me and I’d like to hear input on what others with experience think about the situation and whether or not a person can actually tell this soon.

Best answer:

Answer by kailyejobewell surprisingly… i found out i was pregnant a week and a day before my expected period was supposed to happen….. so. it might NOT be a waste of money. you just have to be both patient and open minded.. you never know! you could find out early too!

Give your answer to this question below!

1. Not your typical “am i pregnant” question. please help!?
2. Yet again… an “Am I Pregnant” question ?
3. Yes, its another “could i be pregnant” question… but with a different story..?
4. Can you get pregnant easily 15 days before your expected period? and another question?

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