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Study: Flu May Be Spreading By Breathing

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -  Forget covering your mouth when you sneeze or holding your breath when someone coughs in your aisle at the grocery store, a new study from the University of Maryland says we may pass the flu on just by breathing.

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It  used to be said that exposure to droplets from coughs and sneezes were the culprit, but the study found flu cases 'contaminated the air around them with infectious virus just by breathing and without coughing or sneezing' according to Dr. Milton of the University of Maryland and lead researcher on the study.

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The researchers say this information can help improve public health interventions to control and reduce the impact of spreading the flu going forward. They also suggest this is even more reason to stay home and away from public locations to prevent spreading illness.

 

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