Everyone has heard the term “social distancing” by now. Why is it recommended?
Let us first consider how SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, spreads.
This virus spreads in respiratory droplets. Essentially it is contained in the secretions sneezed or coughed out of the nostrils or throat or lungs.
The thing with COVID-19, is that you can have virus present in the nostrils and throat BEFORE you start having symptoms of infection.
Even worst, is that a small amount of people get infected with SARS-CoV-2, and can spread the virus, but NEVER have any symptoms of infection.
The only way to prevent continued spread of the virus, is for almost everyone to stay put at home as much as possible. If out, people need to stay at least 6 feet apart, so that if they sneeze of cough, they are too far away from anyone else for their secretions to land on them.
Strict hand hygiene helps decrease infection from contaminated hands touching eyes, nose or mouth.
Why not “lock-down” for other infections such as the flu?
Because they don’t have that long incubation period where you are feeling fine, but yet walking around infecting other people. With these other infections, you get sick within 1-2 days and are down in bed, so not out and about infecting people.
With COVID-19, If people are allowed to continue to meet in large groups at parties, in bars and restaurants, in schools, etc, a few people unknowingly infected with the virus will spread it to a relatively large group of uninfected people. Those persons will then go on to spread the virus to others at home, and elsewhere, and the spread of infection continues exponentially.
If groups of people are kept very small, such as just the amount in a house, then 1 or 2 infected persons in that house, only potentially infect the other 3 or 5 people in that family, as an example.
Everyone is on “lock-down” at home, so the infected people in one household, are not going anywhere to infect people who are a part of multiple other households.
The infected household will probably end up being diagnosed with COVID-19 and know that they have to stay put for at least 14 days.
During a 14 day “lock-down” in a region or country, the asymptomatic carriers of infection will get over it, infected people with symptoms will hopefully be identified and take special precautions to not spread it, and because the virus won’t be able to spread, it will “fizzle out” and die, because it cannot live outside a human host.
For countries who want to be even more strict, they continue the “lock-down” for and extra 2 weeks, so for 4 weeks total, so those who develop infection after a 14 days incubation period, can then be further quarantined for the additional 14 days it will take them to actually clear the infection.
So…there you have it, the rationale for “social distancing” and ultimately shutting down towns and countries.
Stay safe everyone!
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