The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) has released a recommendation to its global membership (responsible for directing the activities and managing the safety of millions of business travelers worldwide), calling for the temporary suspension of a timeless tradition that is the basis of greetings and agreements in western civilization – the handshake – until the H1N1 influenza virus threat has been reduced to the status of the common cold. According to a statement issued by ACTE Executive Director Susan Gurley, temporarily eliminating “the…
The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) has released a recommendation to its global membership (responsible for directing the activities and managing the safety of millions of business travelers worldwide), calling for the temporary suspension of a timeless tradition that is the basis of greetings and agreements in western civilization – the handshake – until the H1N1 influenza virus threat has been reduced to the status of the common cold. According to a statement issued by ACTE Executive Director Susan Gurley, temporarily eliminating “the handshake” from business travel may go a long way in reducing the person-to-person contact that spreads this variety of influenza.
“For years our mothers advised us to always cover our mouths and noses with a hand whenever we coughed and sneezed,” said Gurley. “The public has since been told that a cough or sneeze that cannot be caught in a handkerchief should be directed into a cuff or sleeve. I find it highly unlikely that executives will risk soiling their business suits while on the way to an important business meeting, on the odd shot that they could be halting the spread of the H1N1 influenza germ. Catching the errant sneeze with one’s hand is about as reflexive a motion as the sneeze itself.
“We have also been told that the best way to impede the spread of the H1N1 flu virus is to repeatedly wash our hands, especially after touching our faces, or coming into contact with someone else’s face or hand,” continued Gurley. “A random polling of ACTE members has revealed it would be easier to drop the traditional handshake, for the duration of the health crisis — should one develop — as opposed to sneezing or coughing into a sleeve.”
Projections regarding the impact of the H1N1 swine influenza are all over the board, with experts citing 30,000 to 90,000 fatalities, and the potential of 1.8 million patients overwhelming hospitals within a six week period — in the US alone. Published reports indicate that the H1N1 flu virus could easily infect 30 to 50 percent of the US population, causing massive disruptions in schools, business, and travel, as most companies will urge employees with flu-like symptoms to stay at home.
“Considering we are facing a fragile economic recovery, it is in the best interest of the international business travel community to adopt whatever measures are necessary to keep commerce flowing,” said Gurley. “This slight behavioral change could go a long way in reducing the financial impact of a potential pandemic. While it is sad reality that influenza of any type is accompanied by fatalities, I don’t want the business travel industry to be the first one.”
Aside from a flu vaccination, which may or may not prevent an infection, Gurley recommends carrying a small two or three-ounce bottle of hand sanitizer (plus a packet of tissues) to keep one’s hands as clean as possible. “There are a number of products out there that will kill up to 99% of germs on one’s hands, that come in containers no larger than a lipstick. Just be careful how many you carry in a purse or pocket at one time as there are still limits on the amounts of liquids you can carry through airport security,” said Gurley.
While Gurley hopes the H1N1 swine influenza fails to materialize, she feels ACTE’s advisory to its members might cut back on the common cold this fall too.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
