open access
Cruise tap versus handshake: using common sense to reduce hand contamination and germ transmission on cruise ships
open access
Abstract
A firm handshake is a widely used greeting, but contaminated fingers and palms can also transfer bacteria and virus. Hand sanitation is important to prevent spreading of contagious diseases, but to wash hands properly takes too much time to ensure satisfactory compliance. Banning the handshake from health care settings has been proposed, but an alternative, less contagious form of greeting must be substituted. Cruise ships are particular vulnerable to infectious diseases that are transferred from person to person. The fist bump, common in some subcultures, has become increasing popular as the greeting-of-choice on smaller cruise vessels. To further reduce the contact area, a modification of the fist bump, the ‘cruise tap’, where only two knuckles briefly touch each other, is recommended.
Abstract
A firm handshake is a widely used greeting, but contaminated fingers and palms can also transfer bacteria and virus. Hand sanitation is important to prevent spreading of contagious diseases, but to wash hands properly takes too much time to ensure satisfactory compliance. Banning the handshake from health care settings has been proposed, but an alternative, less contagious form of greeting must be substituted. Cruise ships are particular vulnerable to infectious diseases that are transferred from person to person. The fist bump, common in some subcultures, has become increasing popular as the greeting-of-choice on smaller cruise vessels. To further reduce the contact area, a modification of the fist bump, the ‘cruise tap’, where only two knuckles briefly touch each other, is recommended.
Keywords
cruise tap, fist bump, handshake, health promotion, norovirus, outbreak prevention, maritime medicine
About this articleTitle
Cruise tap versus handshake: using common sense to reduce hand contamination and germ transmission on cruise ships
Journal
Issue
Article type
Editorial
Pages
181-184
Published online
2016-12-22
Page views
1836
Article views/downloads
2031
DOI
10.5603/IMH.2016.0034
Pubmed
Bibliographic record
IMH 2016;67(4):181-184.
Keywords
cruise tap
fist bump
handshake
health promotion
norovirus
outbreak prevention
maritime medicine
Authors
Eilif Dahl
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