© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. No commercial reuse. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ. BACKGROUND Spittoons were developed centuries ago as receptacles for spitting, similar to ashtrays for saliva. They were meant for men to dispose their chewing tobacco and the abundant phlegm that accompanied the habit. Convenience turned to concern in the late 19th century when a global tuberculosis (TB) epidemic took hold and scientists realised that spittoons might actually spread diseases. After one exchange at the 1905 International Tuberculosis Congress in Paris, the head doctor of the city’s postal system ordered all spittoons removed from city post offices. In the USA, public health departments launched antispitting campaigns to stop the spread of TB—and in some states made spitting illegal, as it still is. By the mid20th century, spittoons were gone from most public spaces in the USA. Similarly, kidney trays have been used in hospitals for collection of coughed sputum of admitted patients. However, these do not disinfect the collected sputum and nasooral secretions which may be potential sources of infections during handling by healthcare workers.

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COVID-19 期间的新型消毒痰盂

© 作者（或其雇主）2021 年。不得用于商业用途。查看权利和权限。由 BMJ 出版。背景 痰盂在几个世纪前被开发为用于随地吐痰的容器，类似于用于唾液的烟灰缸。它们是为了让男人处理他们咀嚼的烟草和伴随这种习惯的大量痰。在 19 世纪后期，全球结核病 (TB) 流行病蔓延，科学家们意识到痰盂实际上可能传播疾病时，便利性变成了担忧。在 1905 年巴黎国际结核病大会上的一次交流之后，该市邮政系统的首席医生下令将所有痰盂从该市邮局中移除。在美国，公共卫生部门发起了反吐痰运动以阻止结核病的传播——在一些州，吐痰是非法的，现在仍然如此。到 20 世纪中叶，痰盂从美国的大多数公共场所消失了。类似地，医院已经使用肾托盘收集入院患者的咳嗽痰液。然而，这些并不能对收集的痰液和鼻腔分泌物进行消毒，这些分泌物可能是医护人员在处理过程中的潜在感染源。