Air kisses. Namaste. The Star Trek-inspired Vulcan salute (above). The Kiwi nod. And no gosh-darned elbows. These are among scores of suggestions by our readers all around the world to replace the germ-laden handshake.

The sudden change in tradition, recommended by health officials, has affected everything from churches worldwide, where handshakes were integral, to some Maori people of New Zealand, who had traditionally rubbed noses in greeting.

Nat Geo’s Debra Adams Simmons obviously touched a nerve when she raised the question in our Monday newsletter. It appears we all are struggling with social decorum, even questioning a tradition that goes back to ancient Greece, as we seek to avoid the deadly outbreak.

Air kisses are the answer, says Dave