Search results
In public health, social distancing, also called physical distancing, is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures intended to prevent the spread of a contagious disease by maintaining a physical distance between people and reducing the number of times people come into close contact with each other.
- What Is Social Distancing?
- How Do I Practice Social Distancing?
- Does Social Distancing Work?
- What Are Other Ways to Limit The Spread of Disease?
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 canceling group events or closing public spaces, as well as individual decisions such as avoiding crowds. With COVID-19, t...
The CDC defines social distancingas it applies to COVID-19 as "remaining out of congregrate settings, avoiding mass gatherings, and maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet or 2 meters) from others when possible." This means, says Rivers, "no hugs, no handshakes." It's particularly important—and perhaps obvious—to maintain that same 6-foot distan...
Experts point to lessons from history that indicate these measures work, including those from the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic. A 2007 PNAS studyfound that cities that deployed multiple interventions at an early phase of the pandemic—such as closing schools and banning public gatherings—had significantly lower death rates. Although Inglesby says...
Other public health measures could include isolation and quarantine. According to the CDC's latest guidance: Isolationrefers to the separation of a person or people known or reasonably believed to be infected or contagious from those who are not infected in order to prevent spread of the disease. Isolation may be voluntary, or compelled by governme...
What is social distancing? The practice of social distancing means staying home and away from others as much as possible to help prevent spread of COVID-19. The practice of social distancing encourages the use of things such as online video and phone communication instead of in-person contact.
Jul 6, 2023 · Last Updated July 6, 2023. Source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), Division of Viral Diseases. Read how to protect yourself from coronavirus and slow the spread, including get vaccinated, wear a mask, and avoid crowds and poorly ventilated spaces.
Aug 11, 2022 · This updated guidance is intended to apply to community settings. In the coming weeks CDC will work to align stand-alone guidance documents, such as those for healthcare settings, congregate settings at higher risk of transmission, and travel, with today’s update. ###.
Mar 25, 2021 · Now, even as COVID-19 vaccines are being rolled out across the country, experts still advise social distancing, along with wearing masks and avoiding gatherings, to stem the spread of the disease. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, has urged people to continue wearing masks and following social distancing guidelines ...
May 25, 2020 · COVID-19 and social distancing. Meirui Qian and Jianli Jiang. Author information Article notes Copyright and License information PMC Disclaimer. Go to: Abstract. Aim. COVID-19 has spread rapidly worldwide since it began, greatly affecting peoples' lives, social economies and medical systems.