In 2018 is Shaking Hands with another person Safe?
A heavy worded title Yes, but in all honesty by shaking hands with another human being we really are putting our health at risk and it is confusing, strange and against everything else that we are taught or told about about from keeping our selves clear of dangerous bacteria and viruses.
Lets first take a look back at the history of shaking hands and how it came about or a thing...
Shaking hands has been discovered to originate from the ancient Greeks of the 5th century BC the reason for the hand shake is thought to be a gesture of peace.
In modern times the handshake is mainly seen as a greeting though in many countries variations on your 'handshake' type can mean many different things, lets take a look at those.
Anglophone countries like the United Kingdom and United States , Men are more commonly known to shake hands than Women in business and In casual leisure situations, It is not uncommon to see men shaking hands when meeting at any type of occasion.
Holland and Belgium, handshakes are highly expected, especially when conducting business or participating in meetings.
Switzerland, A lady can expect to have a hand shake before a man
Russia, the handshake here is seen as a thing only to be performed by a man here you will rarely see Women shaking hands.
Austrians are similar to Anglophone countries where the behavior is too shake hands when meeting friends or for business however unlike Anglophone countries children are often included.
In other countries such as Turkey or countries of the Arabic-speaking Middle East, handshakes are softer and gentle this is opposite to those type in the West. As a result, a hold which is too strong would be seen as unethical or insulting. Men and Women in the Arab world do not typically shake hands and a dim view is taken if this is captured.
Moroccans a kiss on each cheek (to women and men) along with a handshake is the tradition. Though a palm placed across the heart exists.
China, a gentle light handshake is not only preferred but any other type is often frowned upon or seen as rude, the action of holding on to the hand for an extended amount of time is common place and expected.
Japan, much like China a gentle soft hand shake is the choice but you should always let a Japanese person initiate the hand shake when in the country.
Norway, a strong handshake is the order of the day here, much like most Western countries individuals shake hands when making business deals, and when meeting friends or family.
India and close by countries, the traditional authentic Namaste gesture, which is often coupled with a slight bow, is mostly used instead of handshakes. However, the modern and more western looking culcher of India now see's handshakes as a preferred greeting method in business and other formal settings.
South Korea, it is very important that a hand shake is lead by the most important or senior person of the group/party, the gesture must be soft or weak. When performing the action grabbing the opposite persons right arm is seen as a great sign of respect this should be performed by the left hand. You should never have your free in your pocket as this is highly frowned upon and deemed as being very rude.
In some places in Africa, handshaking can be carried out continually this especially can be seen when persons are involved in a conversation(always between two people). Something that may seem odd to others is if the two people are not continually shaking hands then anyone else may enter the conversation.
Liberia, has probably one of the coolest handshakes you could hope to be part of, called the 'snap handshake' it is achieved when the the two shakers snap their fingers against each other at the conclusion of the handshake.
What kinds of bacteria and viruses can be found on a human hand?
Lets begin with bacteria which can be deadly...
Basically the skin on your hands can carry any and every type of bacteria from harmless to something that could kill you. The type of bacteria found is usually and mostly down to what you have touched.
The undisputed king of bacteria found on a human hand is that of fecal matter or poo.
Contaminated hands can spread bacteria faster and more ferocious than any other part of your body.
The Top 3 bacteria passed on by hands are as follows
1. Salmonella
2. E. Coli
3. Staph
The Top 3 illnesses caused by bacteria on hands are
1. Pneumonia
2. Influenza
3. Common Cold
The most dangerous and serious affect of having bacteria on your hands is that you are highly likely to infect yourself with a deadly and harmful bacteria that will have you feeling very ill and potentially in a life threatening state.
The Top 3 Viruses that could be on your hands are..
1. Norovirus
2. Hepatitis A
3. MRSA
If we are infected with any of these what can we expect?
Well, depending on your immune system the symptoms can be wide and varied but mostly what you will experience is
Anglophone countries like the United Kingdom and United States , Men are more commonly known to shake hands than Women in business and In casual leisure situations, It is not uncommon to see men shaking hands when meeting at any type of occasion.
Holland and Belgium, handshakes are highly expected, especially when conducting business or participating in meetings.
Switzerland, A lady can expect to have a hand shake before a man
Russia, the handshake here is seen as a thing only to be performed by a man here you will rarely see Women shaking hands.
Austrians are similar to Anglophone countries where the behavior is too shake hands when meeting friends or for business however unlike Anglophone countries children are often included.
In other countries such as Turkey or countries of the Arabic-speaking Middle East, handshakes are softer and gentle this is opposite to those type in the West. As a result, a hold which is too strong would be seen as unethical or insulting. Men and Women in the Arab world do not typically shake hands and a dim view is taken if this is captured.
Moroccans a kiss on each cheek (to women and men) along with a handshake is the tradition. Though a palm placed across the heart exists.
China, a gentle light handshake is not only preferred but any other type is often frowned upon or seen as rude, the action of holding on to the hand for an extended amount of time is common place and expected.
Japan, much like China a gentle soft hand shake is the choice but you should always let a Japanese person initiate the hand shake when in the country.
Norway, a strong handshake is the order of the day here, much like most Western countries individuals shake hands when making business deals, and when meeting friends or family.
India and close by countries, the traditional authentic Namaste gesture, which is often coupled with a slight bow, is mostly used instead of handshakes. However, the modern and more western looking culcher of India now see's handshakes as a preferred greeting method in business and other formal settings.
South Korea, it is very important that a hand shake is lead by the most important or senior person of the group/party, the gesture must be soft or weak. When performing the action grabbing the opposite persons right arm is seen as a great sign of respect this should be performed by the left hand. You should never have your free in your pocket as this is highly frowned upon and deemed as being very rude.
In some places in Africa, handshaking can be carried out continually this especially can be seen when persons are involved in a conversation(always between two people). Something that may seem odd to others is if the two people are not continually shaking hands then anyone else may enter the conversation.
Liberia, has probably one of the coolest handshakes you could hope to be part of, called the 'snap handshake' it is achieved when the the two shakers snap their fingers against each other at the conclusion of the handshake.
What kinds of bacteria and viruses can be found on a human hand?
Basically the skin on your hands can carry any and every type of bacteria from harmless to something that could kill you. The type of bacteria found is usually and mostly down to what you have touched.
The undisputed king of bacteria found on a human hand is that of fecal matter or poo.
Contaminated hands can spread bacteria faster and more ferocious than any other part of your body.
The Top 3 bacteria passed on by hands are as follows
1. Salmonella
2. E. Coli
3. Staph
The Top 3 illnesses caused by bacteria on hands are
1. Pneumonia
2. Influenza
3. Common Cold
The most dangerous and serious affect of having bacteria on your hands is that you are highly likely to infect yourself with a deadly and harmful bacteria that will have you feeling very ill and potentially in a life threatening state.
The Top 3 Viruses that could be on your hands are..
1. Norovirus
2. Hepatitis A
3. MRSA
If we are infected with any of these what can we expect?
- Fever
- Muscle pain/aches
- Headache
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Sleeplessness
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Lack of appetite
- Sweats
- Coughing
- Runny Nose
- Sore Throat
How long will all the above last for? Typically 2 - 3 days extreme symptoms and then most people recover within 5 - 7 days however in serious cases they can last for up to 28 days and some can result in hospitalization.
As you can read from all of the above, shaking hands can be extremely dangerous as many viruses and bacteria are carried on the skin of the hands, so with all this in mind, should we really be shaking hands and catching something that could potentially result in an unnecessary impact on the health system of the country that you reside in.
Cleaning your hands will save you!
This is not totally true, because it is impossible to keep your hands clean 100% of the time, for example, you go to the toilet and wash your hands after, you then travel on a bus and then a train, did you clean your hands in between each journey? Yes you may have but then you touch the hand rail on the steps to exiting the train station.
KEEPING YOUR HANDS CLEAN IS ESSENTIAL
On the hand rail was Noro virus which was left by a previous traveler, your hand touches this, you brush your mouth with your hands, the virus attaches to your lips, you lick your lips..THE VIRUS HAS ENTERED YOUR BODY.
From this point on there is nothing you can do.
The virus is in your body and it will now attack your immune system and leave a devastating trail of utter destruction which will leave you feeling extremely unwell as your immune system defers all available resources and energy in to fighting the invading enemy virus and repairing the mess and destruction that it has caused to your body.
See the symptoms above to what effects its invasion will cause to you
And if you shook hands with someone you would have passed this on to them.
So that bring us back to the lead question of this article in 2018 is shaking hands with another person safe?
This is a question for each and every person to ask themselves this whenever they are in this situation, we think that politely declining a hand shake should be in 2018 something that is seen as accepted expected and respected no matter in which country you are.
Infectious diseases and illnesses and becoming a major factor in today's society and the more we can do to control outbreaks of such conditions has to be a priority in human behavior.
Let us meet, let us greet and let us show our joy in human to human co operation but let us not pass on a sickness that could KILL.
There are solutions you can use to help you get maximum protection from such horrific infections and here we will have a look at the best ones that you can easily get.
MushiMushi April 4th 2018
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