Hygiene and Physical Contact at Social Events?

[SpyderEdgeForever]

What would you do or what should someone do if they want to show kindness, friendliness, and a welcoming spirit at social events and gatherings, but, the person is uncomfortable with shaking hands and hugging and other forms of physical contact with most people, because of possible hygiene issues, ie, you don't want to catch a cold virus or whatever else from them?

[Jazz]

Just do what I do and wash your hands right away. The health inspector told me shaking hands is the worst. Maybe have a wee bottle of disinfectant on you, in case there's no hand washing opportunity.

[Bloke]

What would you do or what should someone do if they want to show kindness, friendliness, and a welcoming spirit at social events and gatherings, but, the person is uncomfortable with shaking hands and hugging and other forms of physical contact with most people, because of possible hygiene issues, ie, you don't want to catch a cold virus or whatever else from them?

SEF,

I think you should be OK if you wore one of those surgical face masks that seem to be very popular in Japan and nitrile gloves. :cool:

Alternately you could tell people you’d love to kiss, hug and shake their hands but you have a virus that is highly contagious and therefore best they keep a respectable distance.

Hope this helps. :)

[standy99]

Shake hands, the more you do the better your immune system will be.
Old school handshaking guy here and never had a issue I can say. Played rugby for all my youth and most adult life and more physical contact than you could poke a stick at with tackling sweaty guys week in week out..........

Or you could stay home in a bubble

[The Mastiff]

Flu season with bad intestinal bugs/ noro virus creeps me out and I want to isolate myself. One thing about me though. If I want to tell someone something like "keep away from me you disease carrying germbag!" , I do it. :) I learned long ago not to be shy and make myself heard when needed. It's just part of being LE/corrections. People seem afraid of telling people things they feel might be uncomfortable or lead to a confrontation. Telling people "No!" is a life skill that needs to be learned young. It might save someones life.

Joe

[Water Bug]

At a social event, I just shake hands or hug, and move on...

We really never know where people's hands or bodies may have been before one meets and greets them at a social event, and if we're always worrying about having physical contact with them, we could potentially insult them, and we'd never get anywhere and would be always worrying about other things, such as whether we should sit in a chair or in a taxi as we don't know who may've sat there and where they'd been. If a person is going to worry about things like having physical contact with someone at a social event then that person might as well stay home.

[Mako109]

At business/social events, when someone puts out their hand to shake I just hold out my fist and say "fist bump, I don't want you to catch my cold" (even though I don't have one). I also keep a travel sized spray bottle somewhere near by...at my desk, briefcase, etc.. I travel to Europe and Asia regularly for business and often use local public transportation to get around town, so I like the little spray bottles that are the size of a highlighter pen with a clip so I can keep it handy.

[El Gato]

Being pretty much of a hermit by choice and not being comfortable around large groups, especially folks I don't know, tends to keep me well away from social events of any kind. I am in no way anti-social and have my circle of friends whom I enjoy spending time with, but by and large I don't have a great deal of human contact. I try to wash my hands before meals but I am not overly worried about germs, bacteria, or other such things.
I have survived far more threatening events over my lifetime, and if shaking hands or a hug for a friend is going to kill me, well .... ya gotta die from something eventually.

Dave

[bearfacedkiller]

I am not a germophobe. To be honest, I am kind of a hugger. I shake hands and hug people and don't worry about it. I bro hug all my good friends. I may pass on the hug if it is a grimey hobo or something but as far as the average person goes I don't sweat it.

I was kind of a sick kid. Lots of respitory infections and chronic bronchitis. I even ended up in the hospital a few times as a kid. As an adult I never get sick. I don't catch colds or flus and I eat almost anything and don't get food poisoning either. My theory is that I spent most of my childhood building up my immune system.

[Peter1960]

At business/social events, when someone puts out their hand to shake I just hold out my fist and say "fist bump, I don't want you to catch my cold" (even though I don't have one). I also keep a travel sized spray bottle somewhere near by...at my desk, briefcase, etc.. I travel to Europe and Asia regularly for business and often use local public transportation to get around town, so I like the little spray bottles that are the size of a highlighter pen with a clip so I can keep it handy.

Ahh you are the man, I heard from your habits ... :D (just kidding)

After reading all of the posts here, I see the problems for some people to get in normal physical contact also with kids, teenagers, pet owners and so on. I for my person only take care not to touch my face/mouth with my hands, wash them on occasion and enjoy my healthy life. God created humans as touch beeings, think about it .

[ChrisinHove]

I meet many strangers every day, and the norm is to shake hands. I tend to be "below average" in copping infections, but have learnt to wash my hands more and chew my fingernails less....

Interestingly, the advice here is that simple soap and water is at least as effective as removing bugs from your hands as gels and washes, but also to follow the "surgeons" style of hand scrubbing.

[Myg30]

Shake hands, the more you do the better your immune system will be.
Old school handshaking guy here and never had a issue I can say. Played rugby for all my youth and most adult life and more physical contact than you could poke a stick at with tackling sweaty guys week in week out..........

Or you could stay home in a bubble

AMEN BROTHER ! It's no different then holding a handrail,door handle, another's keyboard,rental car steering wheel,keypad or touch screens!
Or for some of you the desk at school you sit at after others,flush handle,paper towel dispenser handle.
Shake hands be a man. Hug and be hugged for others.

Mike

[RLDubbya]

I've found that if I take a tape measure and chalk line with me, and when I arrive at the event I find the center of the room and mark it. I then stand there, cleaning my fingernails with my Tatanka.

That eliminates 99% of people approaching me. If somebody does approach me, they inevitably are proud of themselves for understanding me, and say something like "Aahhh...I see you are standing in the center of the room."

To which I reply "No. Not even close" and I lock gazes with them. That's all I say, and I don't waver in my stare. Inevitably, their sense of pride is overridden by fear, and they leave me alone.

Simple, really. You probably have the tools you need to actively practice not shaking hands.

Good luck, Happy Friday, and keep abidin' dude.

[OrangeShoes]

In social events I think it's polite to shake hands to the people you met.

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Thanks. These are all great insights and views to think about.