20 everyday things people did 6 months ago, like shake hands and share water bottles, that might disgust you today
Zoë Ettinger
- Some everyday practices that seemed normal six months ago might make you think twice today.
- You might have happily shared a water bottle with a friend before the pandemic, but now? Just the thought of it might make you feel ill.
- Shaking hands with a new friend or colleague would have been a nice greeting back in January, but it's viewed now as a way to spread illness.
Life has certainly changed quite a bit in the past six months, and many things that used to be normal might be unthinkable today.
Many of us wouldn't have minded giving a friend a sip of water from our bottle, but now knowing that the coronavirus is found in saliva, and how easily the virus spreads, we'd probably think twice before doing so.
"The handshake has existed in some form or another for thousands of years," according to History.com, but its legacy as a greeting has been halted, at least during the pandemic. Touching the hands of a stranger might make a lot of people uncomfortable, especially if they aren't able to wash their own hands directly after.
Take a look at all the normal things people did just six months ago that might disgust you today.
Shaking hands used to be a common practice, but now it seems more like a surefire way to spread bacteria or viruses.
In April, Dr. Anthony Fauci said that shaking hands "helps transmit a respiratory-borne illness." He added that it should become a thing of the past. "As a society, just forget about shaking hands. We don't need to shake hands. We've got to break that custom," he said.
Maybe we should adopt bumping elbows instead?
It's hard to imagine not washing your hands the minute you get home, but many of us would hardly think to do so six months ago.
The Centers for Disease Control says that everyone should be washing their hands often to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
"Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing," recommends the CDC.
Eating or drinking on public transit used to be commonplace, but taking your mask off in an enclosed public space could now put you or others at risk.
Infectious disease specialist Dr. Avisheh Forouzesh told Business Insider that people shouldn't eat on public transit because it means they're more likely to touch their face, and thus expose themselves to the virus.
Wiping your eyes in public might have been normal before, but now your hands could be carrying germs.
According to NPR, virologist and epidemiologist Dr. Joseph Fair believes he fell ill with the coronavirus in May, and said that he believed he got it through his eyes. He had been on a crowded flight, and though he wore a mask and gloves, he did not cover his eyes.
He told NBC's Today, "You can still get this virus through your eyes, and epidemiologically, it's the best guess I have of probably how I got it."
However, it's still unclear what illness Fair actually had, as he tested negative for COVID-19 multiple times, and also tested negative for the antibodies in July, he tweeted.
Having a friend over for a cup of coffee would have been fine before, but now it's unsettling to have an extra person in your living space.
Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University, told Business Insider, "This virus really likes people being indoors in an enclosed space for prolonged periods of close face-to-face contact."
Handling cash and change might make you feel like you need to wash your hands immediately now.
Dr. Michael Knight, assistant professor of medicine at the George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, told CNBC, "If your job requires that you handle money (or any other potentially contaminated surface), it's important to be diligent about washing your hands and not touching your face."
Knight added that the virus doesn't spread by penetrating the skin, but rather when contaminated skin reaches the nose or mouth.
Sharing a water bottle with someone else was entirely normal six months ago, but now it just seems gross.
In early March, Reuters reported that a group of 13 people in Thailand were infected with the coronavirus after sharing drinks and cigarettes.
Though the CDC states that the coronavirus is not believed to spread through food or water, it is found in saliva, making us think twice before sharing drinks now.
You might have thought nothing of holding the bars on a subway or train six months ago, but today you'd probably think twice.
Though efforts to clean public transit have been implemented, like the New York City MTA's 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. cleaning schedule, putting your hands on a high-touch public surface like that still doesn't seem like a good idea.
Using a public drinking fountain today seems a lot grosser than it did six months ago.
"We don't have any data about how long the virus remains infectious on water fountains, but, given their proximity to other people's mouths and noses, I would say you should not," infectious disease expert Angela Rasmussen told The New York Times.
Using a public bathroom was part of an average day six months ago, but today you might find it stressful.
According to The New York Times, "Scientists have found that in addition to clearing out whatever business you've left behind, flushing a toilet can generate a cloud of aerosol droplets that rises nearly three feet. Those droplets may linger in the air long enough to be inhaled by a shared toilet's next user, or land on surfaces in the bathroom."
Going to a buffet restaurant now might seem unsanitary, though they were popular before all of this.
According to Frank Yiannas, the FDA's deputy commissioner for food policy and response, restaurants should "discontinue operations such as salad bars, self-service buffets or beverage service stations that require customers to use common utensils or dispensers."
Some buffet restaurants, like Sweet Tomatoes, have shut their doors permanently, as the new rules made it impossible for them to reopen safely.
Sitting next to a stranger on a park bench today seems risky, though it used to be common practice.
The CDC recommends staying at least 6 feet away from those outside your household at all times. However, in the UK, there was worry about reopening public parks back in April.
"The government's current concern is that crowded parks and people sitting on benches could mean that people are not staying far enough apart, and so there is a danger of infection," the BBC reported.
Wearing a mask inside a grocery store (or any store) might have seemed like an overreaction six months ago, but now it's a requirement in many states.
The Conversation reported the best ways to stay safe while grocery shopping: "Wear a mask, but skip the gloves. Don't sanitize the apples. And if you are older than 65, it's probably best to still order your groceries online."
Going to a public pool might have seemed like a fun activity last summer, but now you might think twice.
Though the CDC recommends wearing a mask and staying 6 feet apart from others, The New York Times reported that "pools and water parks present unique challenges for following those guidelines. Wearing a mask is all but impossible while swimming, and social distancing may be difficult at crowded locations."
Hopping on a flight requires a lot more thought and planning than it used to.
According to Insider, while flying, "frequent handwashing, wiping down the tray table, wearing a mask, and having the vent above you blow air down" will help reduce the risk of catching COVID-19.
Taking a free sample from a grocery store today doesn't sound as appetizing as it did six months ago.
Costco, a grocery chain famous for its free samples, recently brought free samples back, but in a new, safer form. According to Bloomberg, "Samples are now prepackaged items and kept behind plexiglass shields."
Blowing out candles on a birthday cake would've been a typical part of celebrations, but now it sounds like a way to spew germs on others' food.
Paul Dawson, a professor of food safety at Clemson University in South Carolina, told ABC News, "If you can pick it up [coronavirus] on a door knob or in the air, then if someone is blowing on food before you eat it, it is likely you'll get that virus in your system, so it doesn't seem a prudent thing to do."
Going to a crowded indoor venue full of fellow fans was fun six months ago, but now the thought of being surrounded by so many strangers might cause anxiety.
According to Time, musicians and fans recently criticized country music stars Chase Rice and Chris Janson after photos emerged of crowds full of people (not pictured) tightly packed together — without masks — at their concerts.
You might have felt comfortable asking a stranger to take a photo of you with your phone six months ago, but now you might not want to risk it.
Cleaning influencer Melissa Maker told CNBC, "It's often said that your phone is like a third hand because you're constantly touching it."
Sharing an Uber or Lyft was normal before the pandemic, but now you might hesitate to get in a car with multiple strangers.
On March 17, Uber and Lyft announced that they would be suspending shared ride options, like Uber Pool.
In April, CarGurus did a survey and 39% of respondents stated they would reduce their use or stop using ride-share services entirely.
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