COVID-19: GUIDANCE ON SOCIAL DISTANCING
Introduction
As the number of cases of COVID -19 increases in India, social distancing is the most important intervention that people can implement in order to prevent themselves from getting infected. This also restricts the spread of the virus in the community at large.
The government has already taken steps to prevent the mass gathering of people, however, this may not be enough to curtail the spread of the virus. People need to actively participate in the prevention of its spread and infection.
Here I have addressed some common queries regarding social distancing.
What is social distancing?
Social distancing is one of the three important public health tools that could slow down the spread of the outbreak. The other two, being isolation and quarantine.
Isolation is done for confirmed cases, while quarantine is restricting the movement of people who might have been exposed to infection but aren’t symptomatic. Social distancing is the practice of reducing close contact between people in an effort to curtail the spread of the virus in the community.
What social distancing measures can I take?
- The government has already passed orders to keep educational institutions, cinema halls, malls, gyms, etc. closed until March 31st, 2020. This must be complied with.
- You should avoid group gatherings, concerts, crowded retail stores, mass transit systems (Metro Rail/ RTC Buses).
- Work from home if it is an option.
- Switching to online classes
- Cancelling or postponing events, large meetings, gatherings at religious places, homes, etc
- Most importantly, stay at home if you are sick and inform your medical care provider about any health anomalies that you may experience.
How effective is social distancing?
Social distancing helps to flatten the curve of the spread of infection – ie. the number of those infected at a particular time can decrease, giving more time for the health care systems to manage the increasing numbers of cases.
The above is a comparative graph showing the rate of infection with social distancing versus the rate of infection without social distancing.
Shall I quarantine myself even if I am healthy?
While you are healthy, there is no need to quarantine yourself. The use of discretion is advised.
Before going to a gathering ask a few important questions to yourself –
- How important is it to go to a gathering?
- How many people are going to be there?
- How close will I be to other people?
- How much ventilation will be there?
If there are larger numbers of people in one place and/or poor ventilation, this can lead to a bad situation.
Final word
Social distancing is an important tool in reducing the spread of infection. Always remember that we all have a part to play in securing our society’s health – it’s not only about you.
