The handshake is becoming a taboo greeting among professional workers as employees and clients fear the spread of coronavirus in the workplace.
The hashtag StopShakingHands has been widely used on Twitter as the outbreak takes hold and Britons take steps to minimise the chances of catching the illness.
In Germany, even Chancellor Angela Merkel was shunned by her interior minister Horst Seehofer who refused to shake her hand at an event today. Merkel had previously refused to shake the hands of attendees at an event in her own district due to the outbreak.
One British doctor today also claimed she has stopped shaking hands with new acquaintances and a Google executive revealed how he has spent hours avoiding the greeting in order to stop the virus spreading.
The number of cases worldwide is now approaching 90,000 while there have been 3,060 deaths. In the UK there have been 40 confirmed cases.
Motivational speaker and presentation coach Richard McCann hosted an event in Leeds on Saturday and later posted a video that showed him greeting a man with an air handshake in a move he said was because of the ‘unfolding coronavirus situation’.
Richard McCann is seen above miming a handshake with an attendee at his event in Leeds before walking off stage
Rejected: German interior minister Horst Seehofer turns away Angela Merkel’s offer of a handshake this morning after revealing he had stopped shaking hands over virus fears. Just days ago Merkel had revealed she would not shake hands at an event in her constituency due to the outbreak
Posting to his social media accounts, Mr McCann revealed the video and questioned whether or not he was being paranoid for not shaking the hands of those attending his £300 per-ticket event.
Claiming he had ‘improvised’ his greeting he said: ‘Not sure if I’m being paranoid but due to the unfolding Coronavirus situation I decided not to shake hands with the delegates here at one of my training events’.
Speaking to MailOnline this afternoon Mr McCann said he wasn’t suggesting that people stop shaking hands with one another and added that he was trying to teach his clients how to be forward at events by offering their hand first.
He said putting your hand out first was a sign of confidence and added that he mentioned the coronavirus at his session last week as it was in the news, saying that someone extending their hand out to your first was a good way to make a good first impression.
Public Health England says there are two main routes that can spread the infection with the first being from people who are within two metres of each other inhaling the infection into their lungs.
Its guidance adds: ‘It is also possible that someone may become infected by touching a surface, object or the hand of an infected person that has been contaminated with respiratory secretions and then touching their own mouth, nose, or eyes (such as touching door knob or shaking hands then touching own face).’
Dr Hannah Fry (pictured right) said that she had stopped shaking hands with people to stop the spread. Mr McCann also refused to shake hands at an event over the weekend
On Thursday one business in London also revealed that they had stopped employees from shaking hands with each other in a bid to curb the spread and contraction of the disease after several office buildings were closed.
It comes as other professionals warned that the disease can spread easily and that ultimately, people would eventually stop shaking hands due to the spread.
Speaking on Radio 4 this morning Dr Hannah Fry, who previously worked on an experiment to see how far and fast a virus could spread, claimed she has also stopped shaking hands.
Dr Fry had worked on documentary ‘Contagion: The BBC Four Pandemic’, that charted how the UK would be able to plan and cope for the next flu pandemic.
The coronavirus outbreak, which is teetering on the edge of becoming a global pandemic, has so far infected almost 90,000 people worldwide and killed more than 3,000
Asked about human behaviour and whether or not she was ‘still going around shaking hands’ with new acquaintances she said: ‘Goodness no. I think for me this was one of the biggest things of the TV programme, the simulations that we ran showed what might happen in the UK if there was no intervention what so ever and what might happen in the UK if just something as simple as people washing their hands between 5/10 times a day, the difference is remarkable.
‘I think the messages of coming out catch it bin it kill it make sure you wash your hands and avoid shaking hands with people can really make a genuine difference.’
One executive at Google also revealed that he had stopped shaking hands with people.
In a series of tweets from February 28 to March 1, Jaime Casap from Google detailed why he wouldn’t be shaking hands at an event
Jaime Casap said on Thursday that he was nervous about catching the virus and said he wanted to help others by not shaking hands.
Posting to Twitter he said: ‘Wanted to let everyone know I will not be shaking hands. Not nervous about catching the #coronavirus (I’m immortal,) I don’t want to pass it to the vulnerable. I hope we can all commit to nodding to each other and #StopShakingHands Pass it on! #COVID19US #CoronaVirusUpdate.’
Confirming he had managed to get through an event without shaking hands he later posted: ‘Friday night I went to speak at an event with 250 people. I got through the whole thing, with meeting hosts, talking to a bunch of people after my talk, all without ever shaking hands. It can be awkward but it’s doable! I still saw too many people shaking hands! #StopShakingHands.’
Many on social media praised both Mr McCann and Mr Casap for not shaking hands with others.
Over the last few days many social media users have been sharing the #StopShakingHands message, as cases of the coronavirus in the UK hit 36 over the weekend.
So far worldwide there have been over 89,000 cases of the virus and over 3,000 deaths.
On Friday German Chancellor Angela Merkel also weighed in on the handshake issue when she attended a business event in Stralsund.
She had given a speech to 400 local business leaders and constituents in her electoral district but claimed she would not be using the common gesture.
‘Germany is among the countries with the best possible conditions to deal with this virus.
‘Not every event needs to be cancelled. And on top of that, every single one of us can make a contribution.
‘I’m not going to shake anyone’s hand tonight.’
Today Horst Seehofer rebuffed the chancellor’s outstretched hand at a summit in Berlin this morning – refusing to make an exception to a self-imposed handshake ban.
Merkel took the snub in good spirits, withdrawing her hand and laughing with the Bavarian minister who has frequently been a thorn in her side.
No response: Seehofer refused to shake the chancellor’s hand at a summit at the federal chancellery in Berlin this morning
‘That is the right thing to do,’ she said as she took her seat while guests at the meeting also burst out laughing.
Seehofer had told German media yesterday that he had stopped shaking people’s hands, adding that he hoped a vaccine would be found within months.
Asked whether Germany would go so far as to close off access to cities or regions, he said ‘such a scenario would be a last resort’.
‘I estimate that a vaccine will be available by the end of year,’ he told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper.
Other workers on platforms such as LinkedIn have also been posting about the virus and what businesses can do to prevent, with many claiming that not shaking hands is a ‘sensible measure’.
Gerard Barnes, CEO of mental health treatment specialists Smart TMS today said that the speculation around the virus could be impacted people’s mental health.
‘The potential of increased stress brought about by the news of Coronavirus could leave you feeling more inclined to lean on negative and harmful habits such as excessive drinking, smoking or drug use.
‘We strongly recommend focusing on positive behaviours, such as maintaining good exercise, a healthy diet and plenty of sleep, to ensure your physical and mental health is in the best possible state’.
Fears for cancer patients after hospital clinician gets coronavirus: Hertfordshire clinic tests up to 20 patients for killer illness and quarantines staff who came into contact with infected health worker as UK cases hit 36 and a third teacher is diagnosed
ByConnor Boyd Health Reporter For Mailonlineand Sebastian Murphy-bates For Mailonlineand Stephen Matthews Health Editor For Mailonlineand Sam Blanchard Senior Health Reporter For Mailonline
Fears for scores of cancer patients at an NHS hospital in Hertfordshire were sparked today after a clinician was revealed as one of the 13 latest coronavirus cases in the UK.
More than a dozen patients at Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in Northwood are being tested for the killer virus and at least 10 staff members have been forced to self-isolate while they wait to hear if they are infected, MailOnline understands.
Elderly people and those with chronic conditions such as cancer are most at risk of suffering life-threatening complications of the highly contagious illness because of their weakened immune systems.
But NHS officials claim the risk of vulnerable patients contracting the virus was ‘very low’ because the infected health worker did not come into contact with them after falling ill – despite the fact the bug can spread before hosts show symptoms and survive on inanimate objects for hours.
It comes as a secondary school in London became the third school in as many days to close its doors after another teacher was diagnosed with the virus on Sunday. In a letter to parents, Wimbledon College said it was shutting until March 10 because multiple teachers were forced to self-isolate after coming into contact with the infected teacher, leaving it understaffed.
St Mary’s Church of England Primary School in Gloucestershire and Willow Bank Infant School in Berkshire will also remain shut until Wednesday while they are deep cleaned after two teachers tested positive over the weekend.
Public Health England today warned widespread infection in the UK was ‘highly likely’ and could even happen ‘in the next few days’ after the number of people infected with the deadly virus jumped from 23 to 36 on Sunday. It marked the biggest rise in a single day after 12 new cases were recorded in England and Scotland announced its first patient.
Meanwhile Prime Minister Boris Johnson chaired an emergency Cobra meeting in Whitehall this morning where officials thrashed out a ‘battle plan’ to tackle the virus, which he admitted poses a ‘significant threat’.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has refused to rule out imposing Wuhan-style lockdowns on cities, banning large gatherings and shutting down public transport if the situation continues to get worse.
The coronavirus outbreak, which is teetering on the edge of becoming a global pandemic, has so far infected almost 90,000 people worldwide and killed more than 3,000.
It comes as:
- Donald Trump revealed plans to screen everyone from high-risk coronavirus countries both prior to leaving the country and when arriving in the US – after America recorded its second death
- Prince Harry’s Invictus Games – a charity event for wounded armed services personnel – may be called off due to the outbreak
- Three schools in England have been shut after three teachers were among the patients to be diagnosed with coronavirus over the weekend
- Public Health England warned this morning the UK can expect widespread infection ‘in the next few days’
- The husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe – the British-Iranian woman jailed in Iran – says his wife is showing ‘all the symptoms’ of the illness but is yet to be tested
- The Society for Acute Medicine said a major outbreak would put the NHS under ‘immense stress’ with operations cancelled
- Over-60s were told to avoid crowded areas to protect themselves from catching virus, according to The World Health Organisation
- The Louvre in Paris closed its doors and the French health minister advised against kissed greetings
A healthcare worker at Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in Hertfordshire is one of the 13 latest coronavirus cases in the UK, it emerged this morning
Wimbledon College has shut for more than a week after a teacher tested positive for the virus. It became the third school in three days to shut for a deep clean
Britain’s Health Secretary Matt Hancock (left) arrives at Downing Street in central London this morning with Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England, for an emergency Cobra meeting
Nurses take swabs through the car window of a patient who suspected they may have the coronavirus at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, today
The Hertfordshire health care worker caught coronavirus overseas but there have so far been five cases contracted in Britain after a patient in Surrey created a family cluster, spreading the virus to a family member in the county as well as another person in West Sussex.
A spokesperson for Mount Vernon said all individuals who were in contact with the clinician ‘had been identified’ and ‘the appropriate measures taken’. They added: ‘The risk to patients and staff at Mount Vernon Cancer Centre is very low and we are working with individual patients to appropriately manage their care.’
One of the 13 new cases on Sunday was a patient from Harlow, Essex, who caught the disease despite having no link to an affected area abroad. Officials admitted they were clueless as to where the patient contracted the virus amid mounting fears the infection is spreading rampantly throughout the UK.
The total has almost tripled in four days with the virus now reaching all corners of the British Isles. The five cases contracted within the UK may mean that it is already be too late to head off an epidemic.
Wimbledon College has announced it will close until March 10 and undergo a deep clean after a member of staff tested positive for coronavirus on Sunday following travel to Italy.
The letter said it had been contacted about the case by Public Health England (PHE). The member of staff was last in school on February 25 and ‘has not had contact with pupils since the beginning of this half term,’ the letter said.