What is social distancing?
Sports teams, concert venues, even churches are cancelling activities to curtail the spread of coronavirus.
It’s called social distancing and is a key strategy in slowing down the spread of a disease. In 2014, many experts credited this change in people’s behavior for having broken the chain of transmission of Ebola.
Simply put, social distancing is limiting contact between infected people and those who are healthy. By not going to places where lots of people are gathered together, you reduce the risk of exposure to a disease.
“It is incredibly important to slow the spread of coronavirus and social distancing is the most important tool,” says Dr. Robert Citronberg, Infectious Disease expert at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, IL. “By slowing down the spread of the disease, we are making sure hospitals and health care professionals are not inundated. We ask people to understand that taking these small steps will have a major impact.”
Numerous measures fall into the category of social distancing. It ranges from avoiding any locations where crowds gather, to working from home, to eliminating public transportation from your routine. It can also mean leaving lots of personal space in interactions with others.
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About the Author
Evonne Woloshyn, health enews contributor, is director of public affairs at Advocate Children's Hospital. Evonne began her career as an anchor and reporter in broadcast news. Over the past 20 years, she has worked in health care marketing in both Ohio and Illinois. Evonne loves to travel, spend time with family and is an avid Pittsburgh Steelers fan!
