The coronavirus quickly became an overwhelming concern as it continues to spread. We need to protect ourselves and our families to the best of our abilities. Frequent hand washing with antibacterial soap and avoiding touching your face are both great ways to keep yourself virus-free. However, in order to prevent yourself from being exposed in the first place, social distancing is a very necessary step. In this post, we will explain What Social Distancing is and How yo Practice It.
What is social distancing, and how can I practice it?
Social distancing is a public health practice that aims to prevent those who are sick from coming in contact with those who are healthy in order to reduce disease opportunities at spreading. The coronavirus is highly contagious, so avoiding contact with those who are sick is an absolute must. Steps to ensure this include canceling group events, avoiding crowds, and keeping a minimum distance of 2 meters when going out in public is needed.
It is especially important to avoid coming into contact with people who clearly display symptoms of the virus or people that you know are sick, even if it’s not with the coronavirus. With my son’s first birthday coming up in April, the need to remain socially distant is difficult. However, I know an at-home party with just our family is necessary to prevent myself and my loved ones from coming in contact with coronavirus. I urge moms with birthday’s coming up to make the same decision to protect their family.
What large scale actions are being taken to ensure social distancing in my community?
Large scale actions vary from community to community and include the following:
- Schools and Colleges discontinuing in-person courses and moving to an online approach
- Cities canceling large events such as concerts, sporting events, and parades
- Workplaces incorporating flexible options such as working from home or incorporating extra sanitary measures
- Organizations canceling conferences or other large gatherings
- Places of worship temporarily suspending services
How do we know social distancing works?
We can see evidence that social distancing works from steps taken during past pandemics. For example, a 2007 PNAS study found that cities in the 1918 Spanish Influenza pandemic that deployed multiple social distancing interventions at an early stage (closing schools, workplaces, etc.) had significantly lower death rates.
Social distancing is a necessary step we should all take to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Remember, avoid crowds, stay at least 6 feet (or 2 meters) away from others when in a public setting, and avoid participation in group events.
Check out these superfoods to help boost your immune system while social distancing.
