THE END OF THE HANDSHAKE?
Like most young people, Jim Shuster was taught as a child that shaking hands with people was important in society. He was told that it was a sign of respect and that it created a good first impression. But Jim has always hated shaking hands. Now, with the Corona pandemic, he no longer has to do it.(lines 1–3)
It seems that the pandemic has completely ended the practice of shaking hands, which has been an accepted tradition since ancient times. Some people believe that this custom began as a sign of peace. Showing an empty hand meant that you were not holding a weapon. In the 1800s, doctors discovered that bacteria are passed from person to person through touch. So they began washing their hands after treating each patient. Very soon after that, the number of infections among hospital patients was reduced, but doctors and everyone else continued to shake hands.(lines 4–9)
"I worried about handshakes long before the pandemic began because it was already known that viruses and bacteria are passed by handshakes," says Dr. Simon Benson of the Mayflower School of Health. "But handshakes are a tradition and people love traditions because they remind them of happy events in the past. Some people even feel that the handshake is an important part of our culture. For them, a return to the handshake means that we are back to normal," he adds. "However, I think it's time to replace the unhealthy handshake with something different. There are people who are ready for a change."(lines 10–16)
"Any alternative to the handshake should allow people to have eye contact, that is, people should look directly at each other. It should also include some physical contact," says Dr. Benson. So far, the only possibility that includes both physical contact and eye contact is the "elbow bump," which has become popular during the pandemic. Who knows? We may never shake hands again.(lines 17–20)