Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Life

Social distancing really does work — But what is it?

Speaking at a news conference on Thursday, British Columbia Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced there were seven new cases of COVID-19 in the province, adding that it was time people take measures to give everyone some space, reports CTV News Canada.

“We must all, at this time, step up our social distancing,” Henry said during the news conference. “This is not forever. This is for the coming weeks. The coming weeks when we know we have to do everything we can to prevent transmission of infection in our communities.”

So what is social distancing? Basically it means that we avoid venues and large public areas where lots of people are present. These areas are great for spreading a virus. This might require that you work from home or distance yourself from others, even neighbors and family members.

“I’m asking everybody to take those measures, to increase your distance between people, to look at gatherings where you can stay apart from others,” Henry said. “Right now, we need to keep our hands to ourselves, keep our germs to ourselves.”

Japan faced significant criticism for its handling of a cruise ship placed in quarantine after a for...

Japan faced significant criticism for its handling of a cruise ship placed in quarantine after a former passenger contracted the virus
Philip FONG, AFP/File


Social Distancing does work
The term “social distancing” or SD is nothing to be afraid of. The term is used by public health officials as part of infection control in large outbreaks of infectious diseases.

The objective of social distancing is to reduce the probability of contact between persons carrying an infection, and others who are not infected, so as to minimize disease transmission, morbidity and ultimately, mortality.

Social distancing is particularly necessary when the disease can be spread by droplet contact (coughing or sneezing); direct physical contact, indirect physical contact (e.g. by touching a contaminated surface); or airborne transmission (if the microorganism can survive in the air for long periods).

Actually, social distancing is not a new idea. One of the earliest references to social distancing dates to the seventh century BC in the Book of Leviticus, 13:46: “And the leper in whom the plague is…he shall dwell alone; [outside] the camp shall his habitation be.”

Drawbacks to SD and how to deal with them
There are some drawbacks to social distancing and something that’s easier said than done. You could even go so far as to say that because we humans are social animals, isolation can be painful. But remember this – feeling lonely when alone is normal. It’s not a sign of weakness. It’s not a sign that you need to toughen up. You’re not wrong for feeling that way.

E-Reader

The Plastic Logic reader supports a full range of business document formats, such as Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint, and Adobe PDFs, as well as newspapers, periodicals and books.
Photo courtesy Plastic Logic


Social distancing can bring on feelings that might include loneliness, reduced productivity, and the loss of other benefits associated with human interaction – like having someone to talk to or interact with. There is an interesting study about social distancing and its psychological impact that was published in The Lancet last month.

In the study, one of the biggest issues mentioned was that those under quarantine should have a good understanding of the disease in question, and the reasons for the quarantine.

Boredom and isolation will cause distress; people who are quarantined should be advised about what they can do to stave off boredom and provided with practical advice on coping and stress management techniques. Luckily, we live in an advanced electronics age, so the world is at our fingertips.

Use that smartphone to send videos, texts, or photos. Whatever works for you. Connect with people. You can watch movies and listen to music. Headphones and earbuds also make talking to others better and easier. There are E-books and audiobooks available. And don’t forget YouTube.

Avatar photo
Written By

We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our dear friend Karen Graham, who served as Editor-at-Large at Digital Journal. She was 78 years old. Karen's view of what is happening in our world was colored by her love of history and how the past influences events taking place today. Her belief in humankind's part in the care of the planet and our environment has led her to focus on the need for action in dealing with climate change. It was said by Geoffrey C. Ward, "Journalism is merely history's first draft." Everyone who writes about what is happening today is indeed, writing a small part of our history.

You may also like:

World

Calling for urgent action is the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)

Business

The cathedral is on track to reopen on December 8 - Copyright AFP Ludovic MARINParis’s Notre-Dame Cathedral, ravaged by fire in 2019, is on...

Business

Saudi Aramco President & CEO Amin Nasser speaks during the CERAWeek oil summit in Houston, Texas - Copyright AFP Mark FelixPointing to the still...

Business

Hyundai on Wednesday revealed plans to invest more than $50 billion in South Korea by 2026.