Fist-bumping has long been used by athletes, teenagers and even U.S. President Barack Obama as a ‘cooler’ way to greet you friends, but a new study finds that it may also prevent you from getting sick.
A recent pilot study conducted by researchers at West Virginia University finds that exchanging fist-bumps instead of handshakes can reduce the spread of bacterial pathogens.
The study found that people who exchanged handshakes were four times more likely to transmit bacterial pathogens than those who used a fist-bump.
Dr. Tom McClellan, lead researcher of the study, says the popular greeting has shown many interesting benefits.
"It not only reduced surface area and reduced contact time, but also you're not using the useable surface of your hand therefore prevent virus transmission," McClellan told CTV.
McClellan says he has adopted the new greeting at a local hospital.
"It kind of started out to be a way to raise awareness to wash hands in the hospital and is a fun way to remind people to do that," he said.
The popular greeting, also known as the “dap” or “fist-pound”, has been described as a “closed-fisted high-five” by the New York Times and gained popularity after Obama and his wife Michelle exchanged the friendly greeting during a 2008 campaign speech.
Celebrities such as Howie Mandel, Jay-Z and the Dalai Lama have been known to throw down a fist-bump while athletes have been exchanging fist-bumps for years as a way to congratulate fellow players.
Researchers say the fist-bump reduces skin-to-skin contact with and protects fingertips and palms from exposure. It also decreases the length of contact between individuals, significantly reducing the chance of transmission.
McClellan said that while hospitals have made an effort to reduce the spread of disease by introducing strict hand-washing protocols, hand sanitizers, automatic doors and touch-less sinks, it may not be enough.
“Hand washing education has become a major initiative throughout healthcare systems to reduce transmission rates, but as many as 80% of individuals retain some disease-causing bacteria after washing,” he wrote.
McClellan says that while banning hand-to-hand contact is impossible, replacing the traditional greeting with a friendly fist-bump might just save you a trip to the doctor.
With reports from CTV’s Joy Malbon and CTV Winnipeg’s Josh Crabb
