The University of Calgary’s faculty of medicine dean wants you to stop shaking hands and instead “pound,” or fist bump, as a substitute greeting.
Handshaking is a “recipe for transmitting disease,” says Dr. Tom Feasby. “We need to replace it with something…. The pound offers that. It uses the hand, there’s direct but gentle contact and you look the other person right in the eye.
“My slogan is: Pound out the flu,” adds Feasby. However, he admits he gets “funny looks” from some people when he extends his fist.
Health Minister Ron Liepert isn’t fully convinced by the new greeting. “My own personal view is that may be a little extreme, but again, these are clinicians, they’re trying to give us the best possible advice, and maybe we should suck it up and listen to them.”
Hours later, Liepert was practising what he preached. “The health minister was at a function I was at last night and he came up to me and he pounded me,” says Feasby. “He told me he’s now a believer.”
Comments: 3
Lindsey Wallis wrote:
on Oct 22nd, 2009 at 9:07am Report Abuse
fang wrote:
But I know I'm immature.
on Oct 22nd, 2009 at 1:28pm Report Abuse
Drew Anderson wrote:
on Oct 22nd, 2009 at 1:47pm Report Abuse
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