Americans Rather Wave Than Shake Hands

As the novel coronavirus continues to spread in the U.S., Americans would rather wave to greet people instead of using the traditional handshake. The coronavirus—a respiratory virus also known as COVID-19—can be spread person-to-person if an infected person coughs or sneezes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People have been urged to wash their hands frequently and avoid large group gatherings if possible.

To potentially curb the person-to-person spread, some people have opted to abstain from handshaking. At least 62 percent of people polled in a YouGov survey said they would rather wave. 55 percent said they would nod and 25 percent of people responded they would bump elbows. Less common methods of greeting were bowing and tapping feet. Only 10 percent of people said they wouldn't do any of the alternative greetings, while 7 percent of respondents said they didn't know what they would do.

COVID-19 has infected more than 117,000 people worldwide and at least 4,000 deaths related to the new coronavirus have been reported. Early data has shown that COVID-19 is 20 times deadlier than the flu.

According to Johns Hopkins, more than 64,000 people who contracted the virus have recovered.