Elbow or foot check in Corona times? Experts strongly advise against the following greeting

2020-12-18T15:41:11.103Z

In order to prevent coronavirus infection, it has been said for almost a year: Avoid physical contact. You can find out here which greeting is currently the safest.

In order to prevent coronavirus infection, it has been said for almost a year: Avoid physical contact.

You can find out here which greeting is currently the safest.

Hugs and kisses as a greeting have long been a thing of the past.
In times of Corona the motto is: keep as much distance from others as possible.
But it just doesn't work without a welcoming ritual.
A wide variety of techniques such as classic waving, the ghetto fist or the foot and elbow check have established themselves.
There are even scientific assessments as to which form of greeting is safest.

Basically, any form of physical closeness currently carries the risk of contracting Covid-19 *.

But humans are usually gregarious animals and need social interaction.

That's why he quickly came up with a greeting alternative to the handshake: Feet are brought together, elbows and fists - because viruses that could potentially stick to the fingers cannot be transmitted.

But what is the most suitable method to greet each other in the current exceptional situation including lockdown and contact restrictions

There are even scientific papers on this.

In 2014, British researchers examined the so-called ghetto fist to determine how well it can protect against disease.

And indeed:

According to researchers Sara Mela and David E Whitworth, bringing your fists together transmits around 90 percent fewer pathogens than a normal handshake

The reason is "obvious" in the truest sense of the word: When you shake hands, the insides of the hands touch, which are also constantly in contact with your own face, door handles and other surfaces - and thus come into contact with pathogens more often than the surface of the hand.

Say hello during Corona: "No hand, no fist, no hug: always greet with a distance"

But the ghetto fist must not rejoice too early: The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (BAG) is strictly against this form of greeting: "No hand, no fist, no hug: always greet with a distance," the Berner Zeitung quotes the BAG .

"Hand is hand", Adrian Kammer is quoted as head of campaigns at the BAG: "

It doesn't matter whether it is a classic handshake, a high five or a fist.

Touching and body contact should generally be avoided at the moment.

So what can we do to keep the risk of corona infection as low as possible?

Basically only one thing: the remote, safe, classic waving

(jg) * Merkur.de belongs to the Germany-wide Ippen-Digital editorial network