Why the Need for Social Distancing
The COVID-19 pandemic happened very fast. In a span of months, the disease caused by virus SARS-CoV- 2 has spread all over the globe. Since then, we often hear that in order to prevent further spreading, we must practice social distancing.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention defines social distancing, also called “physical distancing,” as keeping space between yourself and other people outside of your home. The practice of physical distancing includes:
- Staying at least 6 feet (about 2 arms' length) from other people
- Not gathering in groups
- Staying out of crowded places and avoid mass gatherings
Furthermore, CDC says that COVID-19 spreads mainly among people who are in close contact (within about 6 feet) for a prolonged period. This happens when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks, and droplets from their mouth or nose are launched into the air and land in the mouths or noses of people nearby. The droplets can also be inhaled into the lungs. Recent studies indicate that people who are infected but do not have symptoms likely also play a role in the spread of COVID-19.
In a contagious disease, there is always a chain of infection. The chain of infection, if we think of it as an actual chain, is made up of six different links: pathogen (the infectious agent), reservoir (infected person), the portal of exit (body fluids), means of transmission (inhalation, contact), the portal of entry (respiratory tract, etc), and the new host. Each link has a unique role in the chain, and each can be interrupted, or broken, through various means.
If you practice social distancing, you will eliminate the bridge from the portal of exit to the portal of entry which means that transmission will not occur.
By doing this simple act, you can save yourself and the people around you from acquiring the disease.