Within days the centuries-long habit of shaking hands was nearly eradicated. While many hope to see it back as part of returning to normalcy, it might not be as common in the future, even if coronavirus is contained soon.
Originating in ancient Greece, the handshake was a friendly greeting, sign of acknowledgement and gratitude, the seal on nearly every deal. And it's gone. All it took was societies across the Western world taking seriously what epidemiologists have been saying for years. As always, it took a deadly threat for people to finally listen.
Our hands are a wonderful instrument, but because of their multiple roles in daily activities they're also quite filthy. And that includes everyone. Even if you were a germaphobe before the novel coronavirus and washed your hands every hour, there were some points every day when your hands were dirty. That's the price we pay for grabbing, touching, tapping, sliding and all the other things we tend to use our hands for. And yes, shaking is among them.
