While the final word is not in, it would appear that SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus responsible for the current COVID-19 pandemic possibly originated in bats and then spread to humans via infected intermediate host animals in live food markets in China. Human-to-human transmission is primarily through infected airway droplets and aerosols but may also occur through contact with contaminated surfaces. There have been rare instances of coronavirus infection in various non-human species, including tigers, lions, hamsters, monkeys, and ferrets. In April, 2020 there was a COVID-19 outbreak at the Bronx Zoo affecting five tigers and three lions with probable virus transmission from an infected but asymptomatic zookeeper. The big cats had a mild cough and loss of appetite, but all made a quick recovery

As we learn more about the epidemiology of COVID-19, it appears that the main source of transmission is through virus-carrying droplets and airborne aerosols. However, direct person-to-person contact is also thought to play a role, which has led to recommendations for masking, social distancing, and hand hygiene. These recommendations are having a major impact on human behavior and threaten to relegate the ubiquitous handshake to the waste (or hand) basket of history.

Shaking hands has a long history as one of the most recognized forms of non-verbal human communication, probably first recorded in