Particularly during the cold season handshaking can become a ritual with consequences, for hands are a source of the transmission of a wide variety of pathogens that are hazardous to health. Person-to-person contact infections occur from handshaking as well as from contaminated objects.
American scientists do not recommend the “Give me five” form of greeting any more but instead the “fist bump” variation to reduce transmission.
But how do pathogens actually get from the hands into the body? Probands in an US study unconsciously touched their faces an average 15.7 times per hour. It is precisely these uncontrolled habits that give pathogens access to the human mucous membranes – i.e., the nose, the mouth or the conjunctiva of the eyes.
Anyone who wishes to continue to greet with a handshake has no other choice but to focus on careful hand hygiene. Sanitized® offers additional and reliable support with antimicrobial protected plastic products such as handles, door knobs, soap dispensers or cell phone cases.
