The Inner Circle blog in Lebanon is reporting what it calls “an absurd” idea proposed by the Lebanese Heath Minister Mohammad Khalifeh as a means to prevent the Swine Flu from spreading. Israel, the country bordering Lebanon to the south, has already confirmed one case of the virus.
“If you visit someone, don’t exchange kisses… Let’s stop the social kissing habit,” Khalifeh said in a Reuters news story.
Like in Lebanon where people traditionally greet each other with 3 kisses, over here in Israel, you can find the younger secular generation opting for a single smooch on the cheek or a double — on each side of the cheek. It’s delivered along with a semi-hug.
With the country’s first reported case of Swine Flu announced yesterday, abstinence from the social norm of kissing, may be a cheap and effective method from coming into contact with the infection.
Since it appears to be afflicting totally healthy people, it’s not yet clear if taking immune boosters, or natural remedies will do anything to keep the immune system in check and protected.
It’s probably hype anyway, but instead of investing in expensive and probably ineffective solutions, maybe just refrain from the kiss?
The World Health Organization is trying to replace social handshaking and kissing during times of high infection with the “elbow bump”. It’s easy – each person holds out his/her elbow and they bump them together. My friends and I do that in the winter season here in the North, when colds and flu are running wild.
For now, it’s novel, and spreading very slowly, but it is both social and effective for cutting down on infections. Eventually it will hit a tipping point, and become cool.
how can one leave a pretty woman without a kiss? kidding ;), I believe taking vitamin c is one of measures one could do strengthen his body immune system. when the immune system is strong the possibility of swine flu is less.
the use of face masks and boosting your immune system by taking lots of vitamin-C is still an effective way of preventing the spread of the Swine Flu virus.
the spread of AH1N1 or Swine Flu is really scary. It is a good thing that this virus is not very deadly. We are advised to take Vitamin-C and to wear face masks.
Hey, your post answered a question one of my members had on my blog.
““If you visit someone, don’t exchange kisses… Let’s stop the social kissing habit,” ”
You know, everyone might think that this is a silly idea, but trust me, if this Influenza does go the distance and really start killing. Just imagine how NOT silly it will be.
In South Africa and other African countries, imagine how fast it would kill a township where people live in 2m by 2m houses(Shacks). and the shacks are less than a meter apart.
No medicine to help them.
I think right now, its a little over the top, but in time, it will be no joke.
Gregory
~ The Swine Flu Symptoms Blog
[…] hands, recognizing symptoms and anti-social behavior are among our top tips, but now with a new case reported in Israel yesterday, Middle East health officials are getting quite creative with their advice. The Health […]