Graehm Gray-Is it Time to Find an Alternative to Handshaking?
Graehm Gray, Editor-In-Chief
I guess by now you have all heard about the Swine Flu. If you haven’t, where have you been hiding? Just turn on the television, or read your favorite newspaper or online news service. The reports of the novel H1N1, as they now refer to it, are everywhere. You can read about it in The Nerdel News and find out if you are in a category of people that needs to take the H1N1 vaccine. Okay, so you know about it. What are you doing about it? Are you washing your hands enough? How many door knobs did you touch today? Did you wash your hands after touching each one-probably not. Did you use the waterless antibacterial gel after touching each door knob? Again, probably not. And what about those shoes you are wearing. Where have they been today? I doubt that you have followed the Japanese ritual of removing your shoes before you entered your home. Are you tracking in millions of unseen microbes and bugs into your living room as we speak? Probably yes!
We are being bombarded by zillions of tiny invaders on a daily basis-bacteria, fungi and viruses. Most of the time, our immune systems are able to fight them. Sometimes they can’t. Some people have medical problems that weaken the immune system. Children, pregnant women, and the elderly also may have weakened immune systems. Sometimes, a new bug develops or an old bug mutates (that means changes its structure so it may not be killed by the usual means). Whatever the issues, H1N1 is out there and we need to be prepared.
Let’s talk about the usual way the virus will get into you – Person to Person contact. That’s right. The person sitting next to you at this very moment is a carrier of many different bugs. Should we call X-Files Fox Mulder and Dana Scully? No-this is reality! How are those bugs, maybe the H1N1 virus, maybe the common Influenza A virus, going to get inside of you and make you sick? They have to enter your body from an open area-most commonly your mouth, nose or eyes. Say you touch the door knob and then you wipe your face (or pick your nose) – bingo-the bugs are in! That easy! When someone sneezes, they release thousands of tiny particles-some with virus and bacteria. These sneeze particles can remain on a surface for hours to days. If they are not cleaned, you are at risk if you touch a surface and then bring your hand in contact with one of those areas! Does everyone sneeze into their arm, or a kleenex like they were told? Probably not. Did you shake hands with someone today? Kiss someone? Hug someone? Bump fists with someone? High five someone? Borrow someone’s pencil? Touch money? Touch anything in a work or school bathroom? Get the picture? All these behaviors and rituals and basic patterns of life can put you in direct contact with bacteria and viruses ready to infect you!
What’s with the handshake anyway? Why in the world do you want to grasp another person’s hand? Where has that hand been? You don’t know! Exactly my point! Sounds like a Seinfeld joke. You don’t know and now you are touching basically everything that hand has touched. Disgusting-I think so! Hand shaking dates back to 2nd century BC according to some text books. It has been used as a sign of peace, friendship, greeting, good sportsmanship, congratulations and trust. And I think that right now, we need to have a safer way to express all those feelings. What about the bow? It works in Japan! How about nodding your head? It worked for Bruce Lee! You just don’t need physical contact to say hello, nice to see you. Now many of you right now are sitting there saying-OMG, won’t people be offended if I don’t shake hands? Maybe! It’s a chance you have to take to stay healthy. I remember seeing reports of one of our Presidents who was followed around by one of his assistants that gave him a squirt of an alcohol based antibacterial gel every time he shook someone’s hands. If you absolutely can’t give up hand grasping, kissing, Eskimo nose rubbing, or any other activity that puts you in direct contact with alien infectious invaders, then remember, don’t bring or put your hands in your face immediately after the encounter. Go wash your hands. Wash them as frequently as possible and carry the waterless antibacterial gel with you at all times. Sneeze in to your arm or a Kleenex (and dispose of the tissue safely). Take your shoes off and leave them in the entrance way of your home. Why bring in lots of uninvited guests. Clean your shoes frequently. And one more thing, if you are sick, stay home. Don’t touch things that others will touch.
Be careful out there. The more careful you are the better chance you have of staying healthy. If you have come up with a novel idea about how to greet someone, send it to me here at The Nerdel News: talk@nerdel.com.
Posted in: Editor's Page
