When visiting France, it became obvious that French people kiss each other in social situations much more frequently than British people do. Does this mean that the French pass on more colds and flu, or does this help children build up a better immunity so they are less likely to catch them in later life?
鈥� This is not kissing as such, but more of a mutual touching of cheeks known as faire la bise. The etiquette is more than a little complicated, however, and there鈥檚 lots of room for confusion.
As I understand from New 杏吧原创, handshaking is one of the key ways of passing on cold and flu viruses, along with touching handrails and surfaces previously touched by sufferers. Hence cheek-kissing would seem to be a safer way of greeting someone without passing on a contagion.
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But despite the prevalence of 鈥渒issing鈥�, handshaking is also more common in France than in the UK. You can鈥檛 walk into the office in the morning without going round shaking hands with everybody.
When it comes to colds and flus, I haven鈥檛 noticed any particular difference in their spread in any country I鈥檝e lived in. But then again, in France, anyone who has a cold almost religiously excuses themselves from kissing.
I would say there is absolutely no basis to the question鈥檚 hypothesis 鈥� everything points to the culprit being handshaking.
Terence Hollingworth, Blagnac, France
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