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Elbow-bumps And Footshakes: The New Coronavirus Etiquette? - Health - Nairaland

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Elbow-bumps And Footshakes: The New Coronavirus Etiquette? by Cletus77(m): 8:05am On Mar 03, 2020
Coronavirus is changing social interaction, especially in the western world. Handshakes, cheek-kisses, hugs – the everyday greetings ingrained in our culture – are not as welcome as they used to be.

When the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, extended her hand to her interior minister, Horst Seehofer, at a meeting on Monday, he refused her handshake and waved her away.

In Italy, Angelo Borrelli, the country’s special commissioner for coronavirus, has suggested that Italians’ demonstrative nature could be contributing to the virus’s spread, urging citizens to be “a bit less expansive”.

Likewise in France, where the health minister, Olivier Véran, has advised people to cut back on hugs and kisses, though the French president, Emmanual Macron, was seen to double-cheek kiss the Italian prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, twice during a summit in Naples on Thursday.

In the UK, Public Health England has not gone quite as far. When Prof Paul Cosford, emeritus medical director for PHE, arrived at Radio 4’s Today studios on Monday, presenter Mishal Husain asked if it was OK to shake hands, assuming he would say it was not.

But Cosford was quite happy to, he said – though perhaps not in the future. “We do need to get to a point where we reduce social contact if we see more widespread infection,” he said. “At the moment, we’re in the position [that] we need to continue life as normal, but we need to be prepared for the actions that we may need to take.”

In the meantime, good hand hygiene is the key message.

“Science says shaking hands is disgusting,” Nicky Milner, director of medical education at Anglia Ruskin university told the Guardian. She pointed to research showing on average we carry 3,200 bacteria from 150 different species on our hands. On average, we will shake hands 15,000 times in our life time, she said.

A handshake transfers twice the amount of bacteria compared to the quicker fist-pump or high-five. “If you’re shaking hands, you tend to put your palms together and wrap your fingers around. Whereas, when you minimise the contact between the skin, you have a small surface area in which there are micro-organisms, so transfer fewer. It’s all probability,” she said.

The Japanese bow, the Thai “way, where palms are pressed together in prayer-like fashion, are all healthier”, she added. “In Ethiopia, they touch your elbow, then you bang opposite shoulders.”

Yet, she cannot see such greetings becoming commonplace here in the UK. “The challenge would be the cultural shift.”

“In the UK, the handshake is formal. It’s professional. It’s used in meeting and greeting. It closes business. It’s such a powerful procedure that we perform. It’s not just about saying hello. So that brings us back to good hand hygiene.”

The World Health Organization’s director of pandemic disease, Sylvie Brand, meanwhile, has endorsed the elbow bump, footshakes, waves and the “wai” as safer alternatives to shaking hands.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/03/elbow-bumps-and-footshakes-the-new-coronavirus-etiquette

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Re: Elbow-bumps And Footshakes: The New Coronavirus Etiquette? by GreetMe(m): 8:34am On Mar 03, 2020
Nigerians are not making WhatsApp audio and messages about Coronavirus this time around

Who else noticed? grin

Op you're our NL Corona newsman

38 Likes 7 Shares

Re: Elbow-bumps And Footshakes: The New Coronavirus Etiquette? by Cletus77(m): 8:47am On Mar 03, 2020
Why they keep saying Antarctica is the only unaffected continent though? Antarctica is not permanently inhabited na

6 Likes 1 Share

Re: Elbow-bumps And Footshakes: The New Coronavirus Etiquette? by Beautybunmi(f): 11:27am On Mar 03, 2020
That's how one beautiful tribe greets

2 Likes 1 Share

Re: Elbow-bumps And Footshakes: The New Coronavirus Etiquette? by remzor(m): 11:27am On Mar 03, 2020
That’s how stars do... the fear of the virus is the beginning of wisdom

2 Likes 4 Shares

Re: Elbow-bumps And Footshakes: The New Coronavirus Etiquette? by Centcanada: 11:28am On Mar 03, 2020
I saw it coming earlier like a prophet. Nothing is wrong with it.
Re: Elbow-bumps And Footshakes: The New Coronavirus Etiquette? by StakersOracle: 11:28am On Mar 03, 2020
No body wan die now!

1 Like 1 Share

Re: Elbow-bumps And Footshakes: The New Coronavirus Etiquette? by josepphh: 11:28am On Mar 03, 2020
You don't mean it!!

3 Likes 1 Share

Re: Elbow-bumps And Footshakes: The New Coronavirus Etiquette? by potent5(m): 11:28am On Mar 03, 2020
Coronavirus is the new celebrity in town.

3 Likes

Re: Elbow-bumps And Footshakes: The New Coronavirus Etiquette? by Mistaicey2288: 11:28am On Mar 03, 2020
Orísìírísìí

1 Like 2 Shares

Re: Elbow-bumps And Footshakes: The New Coronavirus Etiquette? by YummySuits(f): 11:29am On Mar 03, 2020
Lol... Hello from the other sideeeeeee

8 Likes 1 Share

Re: Elbow-bumps And Footshakes: The New Coronavirus Etiquette? by UnknownQueen(f): 11:29am On Mar 03, 2020
Change is the only constant thing in Life.
Re: Elbow-bumps And Footshakes: The New Coronavirus Etiquette? by TenTon(m): 11:29am On Mar 03, 2020
prevention is better than cure... this time cure never even dey sef... grin grin

1 Like

Re: Elbow-bumps And Footshakes: The New Coronavirus Etiquette? by ArmaniUhuru: 11:30am On Mar 03, 2020
Corona virus don turn people to handicap and legdicap.

7 Likes

Re: Elbow-bumps And Footshakes: The New Coronavirus Etiquette? by Kendroid: 11:30am On Mar 03, 2020
Ffklh
Re: Elbow-bumps And Footshakes: The New Coronavirus Etiquette? by Bustincole(m): 11:30am On Mar 03, 2020
Dis pple are not serious... dey are makin jest of the virus

7 Likes 1 Share

Re: Elbow-bumps And Footshakes: The New Coronavirus Etiquette? by Boatswain: 11:30am On Mar 03, 2020
Lol grin

Re: Elbow-bumps And Footshakes: The New Coronavirus Etiquette? by wonuks(m): 11:31am On Mar 03, 2020
cool
Re: Elbow-bumps And Footshakes: The New Coronavirus Etiquette? by Leezah(f): 11:31am On Mar 03, 2020
cheesy

I was listening 2 6pm news on Jamaican radio via an app. The newscaster reported Covid19 case in Nigeria, She explained in details the efforts of Nigeri govt in controlling the virus.I was proud as a Nigerian when my colleagues push the clap button on the console in the studio for Nig. Some unfortunate being speak evil abt Nigeria everytime.

9 Likes 1 Share

Re: Elbow-bumps And Footshakes: The New Coronavirus Etiquette? by Valfrankie(m): 11:31am On Mar 03, 2020
Those ones are just catching fun.
Re: Elbow-bumps And Footshakes: The New Coronavirus Etiquette? by kingthreat(m): 11:31am On Mar 03, 2020
If una like, go celibate. If coronavirus go catch you, e go catch you. My own be say make e catch evil politicians like e dey do for Iran
Re: Elbow-bumps And Footshakes: The New Coronavirus Etiquette? by iyamALBEN(m): 11:31am On Mar 03, 2020
Pls use your sense. If you're in any Nigerian tertiary institution, better avoid doing any of the elbow and foot stuff in public. Except you're already one of them.
#If you know, you know

5 Likes 1 Share

Re: Elbow-bumps And Footshakes: The New Coronavirus Etiquette? by FreebiesGRAM: 11:32am On Mar 03, 2020
Re: Elbow-bumps And Footshakes: The New Coronavirus Etiquette? by incogni2o: 11:33am On Mar 03, 2020
Cletus77:
Why they keep saying Antarctica is the only unaffected continent though? Antarctica is not permanently inhabited na
Hmm
Re: Elbow-bumps And Footshakes: The New Coronavirus Etiquette? by incogni2o: 11:33am On Mar 03, 2020
Everyone in my area living as if there os nothing out there.

I just hope Nigerians are immune.

Especially thinking of the hell we go through everyday
Re: Elbow-bumps And Footshakes: The New Coronavirus Etiquette? by YorubaKinging: 11:34am On Mar 03, 2020
Because it's not about the virus itself but the panic they want to cause with it
They need to put fear into your heart
Cletus77:
Why they keep saying Antarctica is the only unaffected continent though? Antarctica is not permanently inhabited na
Re: Elbow-bumps And Footshakes: The New Coronavirus Etiquette? by Emusan(m): 11:34am On Mar 03, 2020
Yoruba style of greetings is what Olodumare ordained for mankind....

Prostrate and knee-down for your elders.

With this you can't contact any disease....

Who is your elders? Anyone who is older than you!

2 Likes

Re: Elbow-bumps And Footshakes: The New Coronavirus Etiquette? by bettyjones853(f): 11:34am On Mar 03, 2020
Another way of greeting
Re: Elbow-bumps And Footshakes: The New Coronavirus Etiquette? by DjHypno(m): 11:34am On Mar 03, 2020
smiley

Check my signature to download or stream the hottest DJ mix of 2020.

2 Likes 1 Share

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