In light of the very serious need to reduce physical contact between people to help not transmit communicable disease, it is important to discourage the tradition of the handshake. The handshake has been ingrained in society as a reflexive greeting for in hundreds of years. It is proposed that a replacement is needed that is memorable, already has a shared continuity in the culture both domestically and internationally and is free of physical contact.

The Vulcan salute is a greeting from the well known American sci-fi franchise Star Trek. Star Trek has been part of the cultural zeitgeist for 53 years exploring the optimistically human condition through five TV series. The message of "live long and prosper" is the exact lighthearted sentiment we need in this time of medical concern.