Dr. Joseph Nuertey, the Cape Coast Metropolitan Director of Health Services, has said waiving of used handkerchiefs during church services could spread airborne diseases including the H1N1 influenza and tuberculosis.
He said this when he gave health tit-bits to members of the Cape Coast branch of the Victory Bible Church International (VBCI) after they had
undertaken a health walk through the principal streets of cape Coast.
The health walk formed part of the activities of the church's 25th anniversary celebration.
"Personally, I have a problem with pastors who ask their congregation to wave their handkerchiefs because some people sneeze, spit and blow mucus into their handkerchiefs and would wave the same handkerchief at church," he said.
He suggested that people should keep more than one handkerchief and use the clean one for such purposes or avoid the practice altogether.
Dr Nuertey said the incubation period of the H1N1 was seven days and that when one is infected, with proper management by health personnel it could be cured within 10 days.
He urged the public to be on the look out for any flu-like symptoms and report promptly to health facilities near them for treatment.