One way to access the cross-infection is the susceptible exposure index. Previous studies have found the susceptible exposure index in many scenarios for breathing and have investigated how different changes affected it. Few have found the exposure for other respiratory activities such as coughing however the comparison to breathing has never been made properly. The susceptible exposure index cannot be compared directly. What the exposure is for a cough and how it can be compared with other respiratory activities is the subject of this study. The exposure is measured for two different activities, breathing and coughing. A full-scale experiment is performed to determine the exposure. To create the necessary conditions thermal manikins are used to replicate a person to the highest possible degree and a machine that can reproduce a cough is designed. The machine was investigated and the cough it generated fitted the theoretical profile well. The exposure was then calculated using tracer gas measurement. It was found that the exposure for a cough remains high at great distances. Further, it was discovered that a comparison between the exposure was not proper and a weighted exposure was calculated instead.