In the time of COVID, greetings are no longer by handshakes, hugs or kisses on the cheek. An “elbow bump” is the preferred pandemic greeting.

While avoiding close contact with others is one of the key measures to prevent virus spread, the irony is we probably need a hug more in 2020 than ever before. So how dangerous is a hug really in the time of COVID?

Human Contact Is Important

Our first contact in life is essentially the hug; newborn babies are constantly cradled, nursed and cuddled.
We are principally social creatures, and this need for human contact continues into childhood and adulthood.

Its value is clearly demonstrated in European countries such as Italy, France and Spain, where hugging is common. It’s little surprise many Europeans are finding the new way of living with COVID hard to accept.
Australians, too, tend to hug members of their families and close social circle.

While the act of hugging may give us a feeling of happiness and security, there’s actually science behind the benefits of hugging for our mental health and well-being.
Research shows skin-to-skin contact from birth enables babies’ early ability to develop feelings and social skills, and reduce stress for both mother and baby.

Positive touch, such as hugging, also releases the “happy chemical” serotonin. Low levels of serotonin, and of a related happy hormone called dopamine, can be associated with depression, anxiety and poor mental health.

6 Tips to Limit the Risk

• Don’t hug anyone showing COVID symptoms, or if you have any symptoms

• Don’t hug a vulnerable person (the elderly, immunocompromised and those with other medical conditions), as these people will be at higher risk if they contract COVID

• When hugging another healthy person, avoid pressing your cheeks together; instead, turn your face in the opposite direction

• Wear a mask

• Hold your breath if you can. That way you can avoid transmitting or inhaling infectious respiratory droplets during the hug

• Wash or sanitise your hands before and after the hug

Other Ways to Get Your Warm and Fuzzies

Contact with animals can provide similar mental health benefits to hugging, and also increases oxytocin. These are among the reasons pet therapy is used for people who are elderly or sick.

Maintaining social interactions and connections in the absence of direct touch can help too. Virtual gatherings can have a positive effect on people’s well-being during isolation, and now we’re increasingly able to gather in person again.

The pandemic has made us all realise how important social and physical contact can be to our health and well-being. While we may now appreciate the humble hug more than we did before, for the time being it is safer to seek emotional support in other ways.

(This is an opinion piece and the views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article here.)