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New Habits from COVID-19 and the New Normal
Post-COVID Recovery & COVID-19 | Last Active: May 6, 2020 | Replies (65)Comment receiving replies
This article was posted on Mayo Clinic News Network
- Is COVID-19 the end of the handshake as we know it? https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/is-covid-19-the-end-of-the-handshake-as-we-know-it/
Dr. Gregory Poland, infectious disease specialists gives us a history lesson on the handshake.
"The whole idea of extending your right hand derives from mid-evil times when you showed that by extending your right hand, you were not harboring a weapon," Dr. Poland explains. "The reality of it is, in modern times, you may well be harboring a bio-weapon, so to speak. I think there are much more safe and culturally appropriate ways to indicate a greeting."
I believe the handshake may be one habit that changes for everyone post COVID-19. People with compromised immune systems or suffering from pain like rheumatoid arthritis may be happy to see the handshake become a custom of the past. For cultures where embracing and cheek kisses are the norm, that may change too.
What will be our new way of greeting colleagues, neighbors and friends?
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Thanks for posting this Colleen. We need to come up with a replacement for the handshake, no doubt about that. I just posted this article on my personal Facebook page with the following header:
"What should we about the handshake? COVID-19 has changed our attitude towards shaking hands, however, once this crisis comes to end should we go back to the traditional handshake or should we replace it with another type of greeting? Please read this article and feel free to comment."
Right now, I'm not sure what the answer is to how to end the handshake, but it is something we must consider.