A new study conducted in UK said fist bumps spread far fewer germs than the traditional handshake, and even the high five.
Researchers from Aberystwyth University's Institute of Biological, Environmental, and Rural Sciences covered a greeter's hand in a sterile glove, and then immersed it in germs. After that, the greeter shook hands, fist bumped or high-fived a recipient wearing a sterile glove. Researchers then measured the germ count on the recipient's glove. Ultimately, the fist bump emerged victorious, receiving the lowest germ count.
The traditional handshake was the worst offender, with nearly twice as many bacteria transferred, compared to the high five. However, "significantly fewer" bacteria were transferred during a fist bump than during a high five.
The study comes just after The Journal of the American Medical Association published an article on banning handshakes in healthcare settings.
No-contact greeting is "unlikely" to replace the handshake, researchers said, but a fist bump might do the trick. "Adoption of the fist bump as a greeting could substantially reduce the transmission of infectious diseases between individuals," David Whitworth, the study's author, said.
The study will appear in the August issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.
Researchers from Aberystwyth University's Institute of Biological, Environmental, and Rural Sciences covered a greeter's hand in a sterile glove, and then immersed it in germs. After that, the greeter shook hands, fist bumped or high-fived a recipient wearing a sterile glove. Researchers then measured the germ count on the recipient's glove. Ultimately, the fist bump emerged victorious, receiving the lowest germ count.
The traditional handshake was the worst offender, with nearly twice as many bacteria transferred, compared to the high five. However, "significantly fewer" bacteria were transferred during a fist bump than during a high five.
The study comes just after The Journal of the American Medical Association published an article on banning handshakes in healthcare settings.
No-contact greeting is "unlikely" to replace the handshake, researchers said, but a fist bump might do the trick. "Adoption of the fist bump as a greeting could substantially reduce the transmission of infectious diseases between individuals," David Whitworth, the study's author, said.
The study will appear in the August issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.
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