Your Health Is in Your Hands

To shake or not to shake, that is the question today with the H1N1 flu forefront in the news. After my doctor vigorously shook my hand, even when I declined, and since I needed something to do while recovering from my own case of the Swine flu, I spent a good week researching experts from the World Health Organization to etiquette experts, and my finding is conclusive: There is no conclusive consensus on whether to go ahead with the traditional handshake greeting, or make a polite request to refrain. On the one hand, we carry many, many germs on our hands and can transmit illness easily if we touch our face. On the other hand, we are touching surfaces all day, like door knobs and phones, that are equally as germy as another's hands. Looks like the choice is yours. Shake hands and then sanitize, sanitize, sanitize. Or politely decline an offer to shake by placing your right hand on the other person's outer shoulder, and offering an explanation such as, "I wouldn't want to pass along anything I might be carrying, but it is a pleasure to see/meet you." As for me, well I'll be shaking hands and banking on the immunity theory.