We have quit shaking hands with others to avoid Flu

[mystang52]

I'm immuno compromised so I flat-out won't shake hands. When someone offers the handshake, I matter of factly say "I don't shake hands" and immediately offer a fist bump. Even then, as soon as discreetly possible I will whip out the Purell.
I'm not Christian, but even if I were a devout one there would be no way I'd drink from a common cup.
All preventive techniques are not, of course, 100% guarantees but they do improve the odds of not getting sick.

[BTW, I looked on YouTube but could not find the Seinfeld clip where he would not mind, ahem, touching a bosom as an alternative to kissing hello]

 

[Ian S]

I still shake hands, and push a grocery cart, but ASAP, I am in the restroom scrubbing my hands, and making sure I don't touch my face until I wash.

We always wipe down the grocery cart handles with the sanitizer wipes provided and take a few extra in case we need to wipe again. Plus pinching a wet wipe first makes it super easy to open those thin plastic bags you pull off a roll in the produce department. We also have plenty of sanitizer for our hands in the car.

 

[SumDay]

Wine!?? What kind of wine? My church still passes out grape juice, so perhaps I need a new church!

We're Catholic - no grape juice for us!


And, DH just came home from the doctor and has Influenza B. He got his first Tamiflu prescription. I guess our precautions were for naught. I'm waiting for my turn now...

 

[harllee]

We're Catholic - no grape juice for us!


And, DH just came home from the doctor and has Influenza B. He got his first Tamiflu prescription. I guess our precautions were for naught. I'm waiting for my turn now...

SumDay, you should also immediately begin taking Tamiflu also. In my experience if you wait until you get Flu symptoms Tamiflu does not do much good.

 

[RetiredAt55.5]

I'm not Christian, but even if I were a devout one there would be no way I'd drink from a common cup.

At my church, they wipe it with a dry cloth between participants. As if that's going to accomplish anything, aside from removing a lipstick smudge!

 

[Sunset]

At my church, they wipe it with a dry cloth between participants. As if that's going to accomplish anything, aside from removing a lipstick smudge!

Nobody has learned from the Middle ages...

 

[street]

Still, I bet DH would forget all about the flu if a beautiful young woman rushed up to him and gave him a big hug and kiss. LOL

That would me from anything.
I would call myself very lucky in life. I can't remember when the last time I had a cold/flu. I have had a day here and there where I might feel like something is coming on but seem to fight it off.

 

[fasteddie911]

Handshakes are fine, just gotta make sure not to touch your face or transfer potential germs to yourself or wash your hands before you do. Otherwise probably should take similar precautions touching door handles, shopping carts, etc.

 

[kgtest]

I prefer jumping chest bumps sorta like after a third down is converted in the NFL.

 

[Kelor]

Handshakes are fine, just gotta make sure not to touch your face or transfer potential germs to yourself or wash your hands before you do. Otherwise probably should take similar precautions touching door handles, shopping carts, etc.

The old bathroom door dilemma!

 

[kgtest]

The old bathroom door dilemma!

Easy. Take the germs with on the paper towel and use it to open the handle. Toss after you get out and find another basket. Unless their are no paper towels. Then you use one finger.

 

[Kelor]

Easy. Take the germs with on the paper towel and use it to open the handle. Toss after you get out and find another basket. Unless their are no paper towels. Then you use one finger.

The old use-your-left-hand-pinky trick!

Kgtest, you might be on to something. During church, I can imagine the priest "Let us offer each other a sign of peace with chest bumps". They might want more than one medical facility on the ready at about 10:45 am each Sunday morning.

 

[SumDay]

SumDay, you should also immediately begin taking Tamiflu also. In my experience if you wait until you get Flu symptoms Tamiflu does not do much good.

I woke up this am feeling like a bus ran over me in the night. I have a doctor's visit in 40 minutes. Guessing Tamiflu for me too.

 

[Nemo2]

Then you use one finger.

I get that one all the time.

 

[Retiree_Having_Fun]

When in church, I pray I don't get the flu. Germs don't matter it's God's will.

 

[Alan]

When I have a cold, when presented with a hand to shake, I hold up my hand and say "I have a cold". Nobody has ever batted an eye.

This is what I do. Otherwise I never decline to shake a hand that is offered.

 

[harllee]

This is what I do. Otherwise I never decline to shake a hand that is offered.

Then you must have never been as sick as I was with the flu last year. My doctor recommended a lot of things for me to help avoid the flu this year and not shaking hands was one--that is what I am doing. The problem with avoiding sick people is that a person can be infectious with the flu before they exhibit any symptoms. I remember the day last year in February that I cam down with the flu--that morning I felt fine, went out and ran several errands (all the while probably infecting people), came home, felt fine, ate lunch, sat down after lunch and with 15 minutes went from feeling fine to feeling awful, took my temperature at it was 102. I immediately went to the urgent care, tested positive for Influenza B, immediately started Tamiflu but it was too late for Tamilflu to help me. I was sick for a month.

 

[W2R]

Here in south Louisiana, it is customary to greet friends and relatives from this area with a kiss on the cheek and a light hug. I wonder if the virus will spread enough for that to become less common.

When working, I often contacted various government people from Washington D.C. and elsewhere for work related reasons, and of course shook their hands since a kiss is not customary for them.

So far, my habits when greeting people have remained the same. But, I haven't shaken a hand in probably ten years.

 

[harllee]

OP here--no scientific data-- but I would think a kiss on the face would spread germs even faster than a handshake. A hug around the waist without touching the face or hands might be better. At my doctor's recommendation I am doing the elbow bump. Maybe a slight bow might be good too.

 

[ivinsfan]

Then you must have never been as sick as I was with the flu last year. My doctor recommended a lot of things for me to help avoid the flu this year and not shaking hands was one--that is what I am doing. The problem with avoiding sick people is that a person can be infectious with the flu before they exhibit any symptoms. I remember the day last year in February that I cam down with the flu--that morning I felt fine, went out and ran several errands (all the while probably infecting people), came home, felt fine, ate lunch, sat down after lunch and with 15 minutes went from feeling fine to feeling awful, took my temperature at it was 102. I immediately went to the urgent care, tested positive for Influenza B, immediately started Tamiflu but it was too late for Tamilflu to help me. I was sick for a month.

Recent research leans towards Tamiflu not really doing much,. It hasn't really lived up to it's early hype. They used to think Tamiflu helped from developing severe symptoms but this hasn't proved to be the case.

 

[24601NoMore]

So if you are really serious about missing flu, we are careful about church attendance. IMO when you are retired church could be the number one exposure.

Here's what we do. I monitor the state flu sit as a flu cases start to really ramp up we stay at home until the needle starts to move down. We missed church for over a month but couldn't risk my hubby getting seriously ill before his heart surgery.

I feel like God understands!

Totally agree. Can you please talk to my lovely wife (devout Catholic) who insists that she "absolutely MUST" be in church every week, without fail?

This is the girl who will look up the local church even when we are on vacation in a foreign country. I still remember being in St. Lucia and her wanting to go down to the local church on Sunday morning. Fortunately, I was able to talk her out of it as I was literally fearful for safety getting outside of the "tourist" areas - but it took some real doing..

Church sure seems to be one of the top ways you're going to get exposed to the flu, Covid-19 or worse. I absolutely hate the shaking hand thing and started just wishing people "good morning" or "peace" without extending my hand. Have gotten some strange looks, but I'm very susceptible to respiratory bugs and get bronchitis at least yearly - and am out of commission for about a month every time it happens..

 

[Alan]

Then you must have never been as sick as I was with the flu last year. My doctor recommended a lot of things for me to help avoid the flu this year and not shaking hands was one--that is what I am doing. The problem with avoiding sick people is that a person can be infectious with the flu before they exhibit any symptoms. I remember the day last year in February that I cam down with the flu--that morning I felt fine, went out and ran several errands (all the while probably infecting people), came home, felt fine, ate lunch, sat down after lunch and with 15 minutes went from feeling fine to feeling awful, took my temperature at it was 102. I immediately went to the urgent care, tested positive for Influenza B, immediately started Tamiflu but it was too late for Tamilflu to help me. I was sick for a month.

I expect I might do the same if I had been as sick as yourself and had been advised by my doctor to not shake hands.

Gyms are probably some of the worst places to get infections, but I still go there several times a week, unless I am sick. I don’t worry too much about picking up infections but I will wipe down equipment if I’m not sure the person using it before me had not wiped it down when they finished.

 

[harllee]

OP here--I still go to the fitness center, I feel like exercise helps my immune system, but I am very careful to wipe things down. I usually cover my palms with the wipes when using the equipment. I have been thinking about using disposable gloves at the fitness center. We have a warm salt water pool and hot tub that I love but I am concerned about using them this time of year.

 

[TromboneAl]

All it would take is a national program and/or a respected leader to say that we should cut it out with the stupid handshaking ritual.

When I had the flu in 2017 I fully understood how people die from it.

 

[harllee]

All it would take is a national program and/or a respected leader to say that we should cut it out with the stupid handshaking ritual.

When I had the flu in 2017 I fully understood how people die from it.

OP here, TromboneAl, that's a good idea! Maybe all us old geezers here on this Forum could band together and start a movement to ban handshaking. We just need a catchy motto and a Facebook/Twitter account.