Keep flu at bay with a safe shake
A leading virologist from Stanford University is urging us to keep our hands to ourselves and say hello with an elbow to avoid infections
Touching elbows spreads fewer germs than shaking hands (J Slick)
“It's a deal — let’s tap elbows on it.” A leading scientist has suggested that
handshakes should be abandoned for less “risky” alternatives because they
are a prime transmitter of disease, especially when epidemics are spreading.
Nathan Wolfe, a virologist at Stanford University in California, suggests
using a “safe shake”, in which elbows instead of hands are touched to avoid
the spread of illnesses such as flu.
Wolfe also suggests that people who fall ill might consider following the
example of the Japanese, including substituting bows for handshakes and
wearing surgical masks if they have to go out in public.
The warning follows research into how diseases such as flu, colds and stomach
upsets spread, showing that skin contact is a key route.
“We should advocate a ‘safe shake’ where we shake by touching elbows rather
than hands,” says Wolfe in a book, The Viral Storm.