Before the outbreak of the coronavirus, some people have never heard of the term “social distancing.” This is because we live in a society that encourages socialization and togetherness even when we aren’t directly communicating. Being alone in public places can oftentimes lead to fear and worry, especially at night. We are comforted by seeing others around us and operating in a similar manner to us. 

Public venues such as the mall, the movie theatre, the gym or even grocery stores often house large numbers of people at a time. This is the opposite of social distancing. People in close proximity to each other when standing in line at the grocery store, or sharing the same machine at the gym. One can see why going to these places would promote the spread of the coronavirus, inevitably leading to state lockdown. 

What is social distancing?

Social distancing can be understood as specific actions taken to keep people apart to “flatten the curve” of the coronavirus pandemic. Public Health officials have the authority to enact this measure during times of war or extreme public threat. While we are not our war with people, we are at war with an invisible enemy, a virus with the capability of costing many lives. To prevent that from happening, we should all follow recommended guidelines to reduce the timeline of this virus. 

The CDC defines social distancing for COVID-19 as “remaining out of congregrate settings, avoiding mass gatherings, and maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet or 2 meters) from others when possible.”

Examples of social distancing:

• Closing school and turning to online education. 
• Working from home instead of at the office.
• Closing nonessential stores and businesses. 
• Communicating with others through devices. 
• Canceling large events and sports games. 

The first states to practice this measure

California and Washington were the first states to enact mandatory stay-at-home orders. State and local governments in Northern California took earlier and stricter social distancing measures than those in South Florida. Even though Florida had the infamous Spring Breakers who continued partying on beaches despite the rest of the country shutting down.

Academics and federal and local officials believe that those actions bought those communities valuable time, and also may have reduced the curve for future infections. While California and Washington are still having new cases every day, their curve is much less significant than New York and now Louisiana. This shows that time dedicated to social distancing can significantly reduce the spike in new cases and deaths. 

The result of social distancing

Social distancing actions across the country have been charted and examined by Public Health officials. White House coronavirus response coordinator, Dr. Deborah Birx, said that the data gives “great hope and understanding about what is possible.” It is too late to prevent the disease as it is already in the U.S., however, mitigation measures like reducing social contact do drastically reduce the number of new cases when followed vigilantly. 

In regards to aggressive social distancing, Dr. Birx said “In New Orleans, and Detroit, and Chicago and Boston right now, [we’re] trying to make sure that each of those cities work more like California than the New York metro area.” California implemented its stay-at-home order on March 17, while New York implemented its order on March 23. 

Flattening the curve

Even though aggressive social distancing cannot stop the virus, Public Health officials say it will slow the spread and prevent healthcare facilities from becoming overwhelmed. This leads to fewer people needing an ambulance, a hospital bed and likely being put on a ventilator. With limited resources, our healthcare workers are attempting to make the most out of the equipment they do have. 

Every time a patient is put into an ambulance or taken to the hospital, if they have COVID-19, they can transmit the virus to EMTs and hospital staff. And if they don’t have the virus, they risk catching the virus by being exposed to so many people with it. 

Work together by staying home

If we all work together by staying at home, we can reduce the timeline of this virus. Then we can slowly begin the journey towards normality. While it is estimated that the coronavirus will be a part of our lives for some time, there are healthy ways to follow social distancing but still communicate with others. By going for a walk outside or video chatting with a friend, you can safely follow social distancing and remain connected to others. 

Resources:

https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200326/social-distancing-may-be-working-new-study-hints

https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/03/13/what-is-social-distancing/