‘Tis the season for these powerful things. Turns out sneezes can travel up to 8 m, coughs up to 6m and they can linger in the air for up to 10 minutes.

All the more important to make sure you’re doing your Dracula sneeze into your sleeve.

Sneezes and coughs

A Dracula sneeze is sneezing into your sleeve at your elbow rather than sneezing into your hands.

The dramatic full Dracula pose is a fun reminder of a more hygienic way to sneeze should you be caught without a tissue. Keeping your hands clean by catching sneezes or coughs in this way helps reduce the chance of spreading cold and flu germs.

However, the CDC’s preferred method for coughing and sneezing is to cover your mouth and nose with a tissue, throw it in the trash and wash your hands.

This sketch, updated and polished, features with a number of others in my book Big Ideas Little Pictures.

Dracula sneeze

If you feel the need to sneeze, some people find that looking at a bright light can help release the urge.

Apparently, it’s called the photic sneeze. I asked BBC Science Focus magazine in the UK what was happening here. They shared that it's called the photic sneeze but also that Science doesn’t really know why. We need to find out.

It happens without fail for our eldest son. Anytime we pause to take a family selfie facing towards the sun, there's a guaranteed sneeze. It used to be a common occurrence that leaving the bedroom in the morning and entering the light would also trigger a sneeze. My niece is also a reliable photic sneezer.

Sneeze sketches