It is a banal, mechanical gesture: a mark of politeness, but which we will have to do without. While the coronavirus continues to spread all over the world, Olivier Véran, new Minister of Health, "now recommends, and for a period which remains to be determined, to avoid handshakes". "We are now going to stage 2 [out of a total of 3, editor's note ]: the virus is circulating in our territory and we must slow down its spread," the minister explained on Friday during a press briefing.
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"It scares people more than anything else"
A measure that will impact the daily lives of millions of French people, and if some validate this directive, others consider it "excessive". "It scares people more than anything," said an employee when he left the office. His colleague adds: "Regardless of the fact that it is excessive, you should not shake hands also when there is the flu or gastros". Jérôme, another employee, considers that this "simple gesture" will facilitate the work of many people.
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Others will still continue to shake hands, like Mickaël, a salesperson for handshaking also means sealing a contract. "I will continue to shake hands in the professional setting and in the family setting, keeping the usual precautions," he explains.
And yet, this gesture is the ideal vector for the virus, even worse than the kiss. "Most of the contamination is done by the hands. I'm not saying you have to prescribe politeness of course, but I invite you to express it differently", explained Friday Olivier Véran, who also recommends sneezing in his elbow and use disposable tissues.
In France, 57 people have been infected by the coronavirus, which has already caused the death of two individuals in mainland France.