give me five-SIKE!

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Forget about shaking hands with anyone these days – the flu emergency has some people taking drastic precautions.

As CBS 2’s Steve Langford reported Tuesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a public health emergency for the state of New York over the weekend, as the flu epidemic rocked the nation and hospitals and urgent care centers saw huge crowds.

Web Extra: Tri-State Area Flu Resource Guide

And as the flu epidemic in the New York area drags on, some are suggesting drastic measures to avoid getting infected.

“We just thought it would be prudent to have some safety protocols in place for the kids,” said Dr. Valerie Parkas, who is not just an infectious disease specialist at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, but also president of the Manhattan Soccer Club.