Goodbye, Handshake

Does H1N1 spell the end of the handshake greeting?

By Christine Born

Shaking hands, a common greeting among friends and strangers in this country, may be going the way of pay phones (also considered a source of spreading germs). Already, parishioners at Roman Catholic churches are being advised not to hold hands for The Lord’s Prayer or offer handshakes as a sign of peace because of concerns about the H1N1 flu virus. Colleagues at business meetings are refraining from shaking hands.

With the cold and flu season coming up, the online and mainstream media chatter has been revving up the fear factor. Doctors, pundits and comics have all suggested several alternatives to physical contact. The most common (and sensible) include the air handshake, the air fist bump, the air wave and the smile/wink/nod hello.

The fear of a swine flu epidemic may toll the death knell for the traditional U.S. business and social greeting, but the custom has long had its critics. Billionaire real estate mogul and star of “The Apprentice” Donald Trump, a self-confessed “clean freak,” made headlines a few years back when, in reference to a possible run for the presidency, he said there would be no handshaking at Camp Donald, unless he could wash his hands after every shake.

A posting on the Yale Global Forum suggests that in our global world viruses like H1N1 and SARS could become an occasion for improving health practices worldwide. “Each culture could be urged to wage a ‘cultural revolution against unhygienic practices’ in which it improved its hygienic practices – for its own public health and to help other nations secure their public health. Some might give up handshaking, some eating from a common bowl, some eating with their fingers, etc.”

In fact, in many cultures shaking hands is taboo. One of the basic rules of Islam is that men and women who are not intimately related are not allowed to have any form of physical contact. Orthodox Jewish custom does not allow shaking hands with someone from the opposite gender.

So, germs, disease, taboos … What’s a person to do? The advice from one frequent traveler and planner who is in regular contact with hundreds of people: “I respond in kind when people offer me their hand … and use hand sanitizer liberally,” says Laurie Seay of EFCA. The church organization’s Web site prominently features advice about preparing for the effects the virus could have on congregational life.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) offers the following comments on crowds and handshaking on its Web site: “In crowded settings, social distancing (that is, measures that increase the physical space between people and reduce their frequency of close contact) is difficult to maintain. Moreover, at public gathering events that are celebratory in nature (such as weddings, graduation ceremonies), participants frequently have social personal contact (like handshaking and hugging). As a result, there may be increased risk for spread of novel influenza A (H1N1) virus among attendees of such events and subsequent spread of illness in the community or in communities to where attendees return.”

The CDC advisory says that washing hands is the most important thing you can do to keep from getting sick as a result of hand-to-hand contact.

Other measures suggested by the CDC for event organizers include:
• Make hand-washing facilities with soap and running water, hand sanitizer and tissues widely available at the event.
• Provide on-site medical assessment and care for persons with symptoms.
• Provide alternative options and venues for participation (e.g., remote Web-based viewing sites) and simultaneously reduce crowding.

No Teddy Bear
President Theodore Roosevelt may have been the friendliest U.S. president ever. According to legend, he set what was then, and may still be, the world record for the number of handshakes in a single day — 8,150 on New Year’s Day 1907.

Taboo Advice
“Do’s and Taboos Around The World”
Author Roger Axtell has been called “an international Emily Post” and his guide to international behavior is in its third edition, promising even more facts, tips and cautionary tales gleaned from the experiences of more than 500 international business travelers.

The Last Word
“Hands: Stop Shaking Them!, a Cultural Shift to End Handshaking in America”
Wake up, America! This short book is described as a “call to arms” to end what it says is the dangerous and unsanitary practice of handshaking. Author Gayle Westmoreland’s manifesto presents an analysis of the health hazards of handshaking and offers “progressive” alternatives.