Don't touch

With swine flu refusing to abate, politicians are finding it difficult to, well, press the flesh — nor are those assembled waiting for them anxious for physical contact. So, Reuters reports from Japan, with less than a week left for the Japanese elections, candidate Denny Tamaki is taking no chances. “Shaking hands during an election campaign is key, so this is pretty troubling,” he told the Yomiuri Shimbun. “It would be bad if I get infected myself and then pass it on to older people with weaker immune systems”, conscious of the fact that his home island of Okinawa has been badly affected by the swine flu.

So he has made a pledge not to get too close to the audience so as to avoid the chance of his spittle hitting the audience. In sharp contrast, Spanish newspapers had pictures of the health minister kissing assistants on the cheek just before she went on to recommend ways to prevent spreading the virus — the tips included washing hands frequently, using tissues while sneezing or coughing, not sharing glasses and, yes, not kissing.