14 DAY TRIAL // Specialists working with Aberystwth University in the United Kingdom say folks who are concerned with keeping germs at bay would do well to choose fist bumps over handshakes and high-fives when greeting others.
This is because, when people shake hands or high-five one another, potentially dangerous microorganisms that can be found on human skin have an easier time passing from one individual to another, Mirror explains.
Hence, it can be argued that, be it only every once in a while, simple handshakes can contribute to the spread of life-threatening diseases triggered by microorganisms to whose existence most people are pretty much oblivious.
While carrying out experiments during which they greeted each other in various ways while wearing rubber gloves laced with a bacteria known as E. coli, the researchers found that handshakes facilitate the transmission of many microorganisms.
When compared to handshakes, high-fives and fist bumps transmitted 50% and 90% fewer bacteria, respectively, Metro informs. As explained by the Aberystwth University scientists, this outcome makes bumping fists the safest way to greet somebody.
“People rarely think about the health implications of shaking hands. But if the general public could be encouraged to fist bump, there is a genuine potential to reduce the spread of infectious diseases,” Dr. Dave Whitworth told the press in an interview.