How to Politely Avoid Shaking Hands
Most of us are probably familiar with the standard coronavirus prevention tips: wash your hands, don’t touch your face, regularly disinfect common surfaces like doorknobs, and wash your hands again.
And, if you can, avoid shaking hands.
Why? Because you don’t know if you’ve washed your other hand as often as you have, and you probably won’t have the opportunity to run to the nearest sink once the handshake is over. (Although I admit that in situations where I shake hands before eating, I almost always find an excuse to go to the toilet before I eat anything – if we’re in a restaurant, it’s usually right after the waiter accepts our order. )
But how do you greet someone, personally or professionally, without hugging and shaking hands? Well, CNBC suggests elbowing or “shaking your foot,” which includes tapping someone else’s foot:
In China, the kicking was dubbed the Wuhan Shake-up, named after the city at the epicenter of the virus outbreak, and a video of the greeting went viral.
Punching is also a good option. As Harvard Health Medicine reports:
Shaking hands transmits 2 times more bacteria than punching and 10 times more bacteria than punching.
And I’ve spent enough time at comic book conventions (where people transmit so many germs that post-convention sickness is literally “con crud”) to know how to gracefully look at an outstretched hand and respond by squeezing hands together. chest and nod my head. This Thai greeting was recently recommended by Dr. Sylvie Brian , Director of the World Health Organization’s Department of Pandemic and Epidemic Diseases, as an alternative to the COVID-19 handshake.
Of course, the real question is not what to do instead of shaking hands. Here’s how to do it. Waves, nods, and punching can work in an everyday setting, but can you handle it in the workplace? Is it okay to give up the client’s or client’s hand and offer your elbow or leg instead?
Maybe these days. Many of us are worried about the coronavirus right now, so it might be easier than you think to say, “Oh, I do punching,” or just hold out a fist. As long as you perform the alternative handshake confidently (and with a smile if possible), the other person is likely to follow your lead.
And if you do find yourself in a situation where it is impossible to miss a handshake, remember to keep your hands as far away from your face as possible – and wash them well the next time you get the chance.