Peace–not flu–be with you

[attach]903[/attach]Because the handshake isn’t immune to the H1N1 flu virus, the congregation at Leaside United Church has introduced a new — and safer — way for members to offer one another the sign of peace.

The sideways hug.

Equal parts embrace and pat on the back, church administrators are hoping the friendly and innovative gesture will prevent transmission of H1N1, also know as the swine flu.

“We have a lot of older members in our community, as well as a lot of children, so we need to take precautions,” said church education director Tanya Bell.

According to Health Canada, pregnant women, the infirm, the elderly and young children are the most susceptible to the virus. With several hundred members meeting for Sunday service, a single infection could quickly spread through the congregation.

“It is an issue for us because in the church we like to shake hands, it’s a friendly community,” said Reverend John Smith.

He said the administrators cooked up the idea in half jest during the summer, but after a few announcements, the idea had infected the congregation.

“I haven’t heard a single complaint,” Smith said.

Health Canada recommends frequent handwashing, keeping surfaces clean and avoiding sneezing or coughing into your hands as good ways to avoid catching — or spreading — the H1N1 virus.

The virus has also changed the way the church celebrates communion. Smith now ensures the host is broken into individual pieces and the wine is no longer consumed from a single chalice.

“It sounds kind of goofy, but in the end it has been really quite helpful for people,” Smith said. “They’ve been able to come to church, know that we’re taking their safety seriously and we’ve provided that level of community that’s really important.”

In other areas, bumping fists, elbows or feet have become popular ways to avoid hand-to-hand contact. A Harris-Decima poll shows a third of Canadians are tentative to come into contact with others and nearly 60 percent have declined physical contact in recent weeks.

Smith said the sideways hug is a great way to keep the spirit of friendliness — and the congregation — healthy.

“The end result of what we’ve done has been to lower anxiety,” he said. “And if we’ve lowered anxiety, then we’ve achieved something.”