London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

‘The only thing we have to fear’: Shunning handshakes amid coronavirus outbreak means panic & hysteria have won

Is it possible to err so much on the side of caution that people begin to look overly paranoid, even ridiculous? It seems the hysteria over coronavirus may be taking the precautions a little too far.
In the 1999 cult film Fight Club, the narrator, played by Edward Norton, casually remarks that “on a long enough timeline the survival rate for everyone drops to zero.” That formula seems appropriate for understanding where we are in relation to the coronavirus: if we remain patient long enough, we too will succumb to the latest contagion that threatens to wipe out mankind in one swift (warning: sickening imagery ahead) snot-filled tsunami.

For the unconvinced, a quick glance at the apocalyptic headlines from Monday’s Drudge Report – where even a coughing Pope Francis was hyped as a possible statistic – were enough to make diehard skeptics set the snooze button and stay in bed until sometime next year. While it is of course logical to take preventive measures against any contagion, many people have already tossed in the towel and declared the coronavirus victorious.

Consider, for example, the suggestions being put forward by the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine in Singapore in its ‘handshake alternatives’ guide. The cheerfully illustrated brochure offers hip new ways of greeting those living, breathing germ factories known as humans that we must interact with on a daily basis. In these plague-ridden days, engaging in a hearty, warm-blooded handshake, as has been the tradition throughout the centuries, is on the verge of becoming a negative fashion statement. In its place, people are being advised to perform awkward animal gestures, like the “elbow tap,” the impossible “foot shake,” and the fully detached “wave.”

Now try and imagine corporate executives, after securing a major contract, playing footsie with each other instead of exchanging handshakes, the ultimate signal of trust and integrity. Or burly footballers doing elbow bumps after a game. Or mindlessly waving to a friend whom we 'bump into' on the street. It just doesn’t work. Yes, I get it, desperate times call for desperate measures, and all that. But have we really reached the point in our battle against coronavirus when greeting our fellow human beings with a time-honored handshake, or a more chic peck on the cheek, has become verboten? Personally, I don't think so. After all, it is possible to be equally paranoid about any number of other daily interactions.

For example, we could reduce the risk of suffering injury or even death in a car crash by exactly 100 percent if we never enter an automobile; we could totally eliminate the chances of dying in a plane crash by never visiting remote lands; we could reduce to zero the chances of breaking a leg on the ski slopes by avoiding snow-covered mountains. None of those precautionary measures, however, will protect us from getting hit by a bolt of lightning, but I digress

In other words, we are more at risk of becoming the victims of our fear than any coronavirus. Let’s not forget that the overwhelming majority of people who contract the disease do not succumb to the illness. In other words, acquiring coronavirus, which should not be on any person’s to-do list, is not the death sentence that the media has portrayed it to be.

So while other people can sign up for the latest anti-shaking craze, I will continue shaking hands with my fellow man so long as he or she has no objections. Once we hoist up the white flag of fear and hysteria, the annoying bugs will have won not by stealing our lives, which could happen from a million other things, but by depriving us of the simple manners and traditions that make us all human after all.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×