SOCIAL DISTANCING AND HOW CAN IT CHECK  THE SPREAD OF COVID-19?

To slow the spread of COVID-19, everyone is encouraged to practice "social distancing" measures. But what is social distancing, and how is it practiced?

Social distancing is a public health practice that aims to prevent sick people from coming in close contact with healthy people in order to reduce opportunities for disease transmission. It can include large-scale measures like cancelling group events or closing public spaces, as well as individual decisions such as avoiding crowds.

With COVID-19, the goal of social distancing right now is to slow down the outbreak in order to reduce the chance of infection among high-risk populations and to reduce the burden on health care systems and workers. High-risk population include: Older adults, and people who have serious underlying medical conditions like: Heart disease, Diabetes, Lung disease

Social distancing measures may help to prevent surges in illness that could overwhelm health care systems. In addition, social distancing could help to lower the pace and extent of spread of COVID-19 in any given city or community.

How do I practice social distancing?

To effectively practice social distancing it is advisable that you   remain out of congregate settings, avoiding mass gatherings, and maintain distance (approximately 6 feet or 2 meters) from others when possible. This also means "no hugs, or handshakes.  Importantly, maintain the 6-foot distance from anyone who is demonstrating signs of illness, including coughing, sneezing, or fever.

Along with physical distance, proper hand-washing is important for protecting not only yourself but others around you—because the virus can be spread even without symptoms.

Wash your hands any time you enter from outdoors to indoors, before you eat, and before you spend time with people who are more vulnerable to the effects of COVID-19, including older adults and those with serious chronic medical conditions.

On the broader scale, a number of actions taken in recent days are designed to encourage social distancing, including:

• Closure of all learning institutions
• Cancelling events, including sporting events, festivals, and parades
• Workplaces encouraging flexible work options (for instance working from home).
• Organizations and businesses cancelling large gatherings, including conferences
• Houses of worship suspending services