Is Shaking Hands Unhealthy?

Guardian ran a piece about the importance of washing hands. But it started with a shock factor: Athletes should reconsider shaking hands as a friendly gesture or risk losing out on a medal if they catch an infection. No less than the British Olympic Association’s chief medical officer apparently referred to the shaking of hands as an infection hazard.

But the same risk of getting exposed to dirty hands covers everyone as the bugs stay on for hours and can be transferred to door handles, mobile phones, commuter vehicles–for other people to share.

So heed the advice: use soap and water, rub your hands together to make a lather and scrub between your fingers and under your nails. The process should take the equivalent of two sing-throughs of Happy Birthday.

Read the Guardian piece here.