Shaking hands - Covid

[MyNinja]

My dh loves a good handshake and will shake people's hands when he hasn't seen them from long time. AIBU to think it's not a good idea? Do you still shake hands, have you resumed shaking hands or never stopped?

After all that social distancing a handshake seem oddly over familiar but dh says it's part of his (European) culture.

Most people don't out of habit now but fomite transmission isn't really where the risk is. Everyone knows that by now. I'd happily shake hands with all and sundry.

I've never liked shaking hands. Now I have an excuse to avoid it altogether without feeling rude like I would have done pre pandemic.

I don't like shaking hands and I also like that now I can refuse it without seeming rude.
That said, I hate seeing that ridiculous elbow bump thing that I've seen on TV. An alternative really isn't needed!

I used to be happy with handshakes but do find them a bit uncomfortable now. DH says that a firm handshake shows openness and trustworthiness . I find them quite now but am probably being unreasonable. I'm still stuck in that mindset where we need to avoid close contact. Would people consider it rude to politely decline a handshake?

Wasn’t a handshake historically to show you weren’t concealing a weapon? That’s where the trustworthiness comes from, but slightly outdated now!

I’m not fussed - not worried about covid but not a fan of pointless gestures

Still not happening

It's not an important means of transmission (for covid, but no one wants noro or whatever either) but it's one of those things that you just don't do at the moment.

Yes, when handshaking is happening, having a good firm one sends positive signals. But handshaking when it's Not On does quite the opposite

I never really stopped, except for during the first lockdown when I wasn’t seeing clients. I wash my hands regularly enough, it’s never worried me unduly.

But added to that, I wouldn’t think anything of it if someone either politely declined, or did something else instead. Lots of people do the ‘friendly little wave’ thing.

I'd be fine if someone offered their hand.
I think it's a nice social gesture.

I don't like shaking hands and I also like that now I can refuse it without seeming rude.
That said, I hate seeing that ridiculous elbow bump thing that I've seen on TV. An alternative really isn't needed!

Same here. The last time I was about to shake hands with someone was March 2020 and I politely declined. I haven't been in a situation where it would seem appropriate to do so, since then. The elbow bump is weird - my BIL does that (although we didn't previously shake hands when meeting) and surely you have to be closer to the person to touch elbows than you do to touch hands...?
My DS played in a tennis match in the summer and shook hands with his opponent at the end. I was quite surprised. Previously they had just touched racquets.

I have never really shaken hands but when I worked in food manufacturing a lot of the men from Eastern Europe used to greet each other every day with a handshake, in fact they greeted all the men with a handshake and it did seem to be part of their culture, it did seem to be mainly the men that did this, my female Polish colleague didn't. I see OP has mentioned European culture.

I have long since left there and often wondered what happened to the handshaking during Covid and wonder if they did the Boris elbow bump instead

I don't like shaking hands but not because of Covid. I think it's OTT to worry about it for Covid reasons.

Handshakes in a professional sense seem to have greatly reduced, but I don’t think I ever stopped kissing and hugging friends. Certainly since it was confirmed that Covid is airborne, avoiding shaking hands began seeming as pointless as quarantining groceries. And Omicron is so infectious that if somebody in the room has it, you’re likely to get it regardless of whether you’ve shaken their hand or not.