A ban on shaking hands? As coronavirus spreads in California, U.S., it’s worth considering
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Should we stop shaking hands? Or more specifically, should health officials in the county of Sacramento – and county health officials everywhere – recommend that we stop shaking hands as a way of combating coronavirus?
Sacramento County Supervisor Phil Serna is going to test the idea this weekend when he travels to Washington, D.C., for the National Association of Counties Legislative Conference.
Serna is the chair of NACo’s health committee, and he his colleagues will forgo the customary handshakes for fist bumps and elbow bumps. And Serna said he will not be surprised if a wide cross section of his county colleagues discuss and debate taking that idea national.
Given the current climate, why not?
An official recommendation against hand shakes by counties across America would have sweeping implications in the workplace, in how we worship in religious services and beyond. We’re not at that point yet. But as the virus spreads, maybe it’s time to discuss new measures – including those that are culture-altering.
“We should all get into the habit of greeting each other with a gentle fist bump or elbow bump during the flu season,” Serna said.
The Sacramento supervisor began pushing county health officials to recommend a no-hand shake policy at this weekend’s conference as a precaution after news broke that the first U.S. coronavirus case of unknown origin was being treated at UC Davis Medical Center.
There have been more than 2,800 reported deaths caused by the coronavirus, almost all of them in mainland China. The patient being treated in Sacramento County since Feb. 19 is believed to be the first in the U.S. to test positive for COVID-19 with no known exposure through travel to China or close contact with someone who had recently visited China.
“With the advent of COVID-19, it’s yet another reminder that we can and should limit hand touching if we can help it, in addition to washing with soap and warm water frequently, avoiding touching your mouth and eyes and coughing into your sleeve. It just makes a lot of sense,” Serna said.
It’s not such a far-fetched idea. The Times of Israel reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stopped shaking hands because of the coronavirus and even though he is campaigning and shaking hands is practically the symbol of political campaigns everywhere.
Religious leaders are contemplating extra precautions during intimate services to combat the spread of the coronavirus. Some European companies have begun banning handshakes among other measures to stop the virus. Yahoo Finance UK reported that attendees of a London conference on manufacturing eschewed handshakes completely.
People of a certain age were raised to believe that offering a handshake is a sign of respect. Some of us remember being upbraided by our fathers if we forgot to extend our hand, particularly to an elder. In Catholic Mass, the sign of peace – an outstretched hand to a loved one and stranger in the pews – is an ancient tradition.
Serna said he and other NACo officials are mindful of not alarming the public. County health officials counseled against public panic even as they expect more cases of coronavirus in Sacramento.
Maybe we should stop shaking hands?
It’s a sign of the times.
This story was originally published February 28, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
