Should You Reach Out For A Handshake?

It’s the question confusing many people, as workers return to office and meetings shift from virtual to in-person

The handshake has been around for centuries. A widely-held belief is that it originated to prove to someone that a person was offering peace and not holding a hidden weapon. But in a post-Covid world, hands that can be coated with germs may prove to be a deadly weapon too. Dr Anthony Fauci, the US’s leading infectious disease expert, had cautioned last year: “I don’t think we should ever shake hands ever again.”

On the other hand, Dr Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease specialist at Johns Hopkins University, US, said the whole controversy over handshaking is overblown. “If you are worried, the best way to make handshakes safe is to be fully vaccinated. And if you’re still worried, just wash your hands before you touch your face,” he said.

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