Why Social Distancing is Key to Ending COVID-19 Pandemic

Social distancing is the key to diminish the rate of spread of COVID-19 — physical contact must be extremely limited. Work restrictions, public location closures, and severely limiting travel other than essential food and medical needs will reduce the rate of the outbreak.

Social Distancing Concluded Necessity

Omid Shahnaz translated Irancovid-19.com from Farsi to English to come to an important deduction. Practicing physical distancing activities will reduce the rate of infection and delay the desperate time needed to reach the peak — or apex of the curve.

The apex represents the number of patients currently infected at one time — that is the highest number of cases in a state or country. The more time taken for the peak to be reduced and delayed over time, the longer period health care will be afforded to treat patients with severe COVID-19 respiratory symptoms. This shows that social distancing actions will reduce the number of deaths.

As stated by Shahnaz:

If limited physical contact reasoning is valid then the apex is reflective of the serial interval number. The serial interval number is the time it takes between a first symptomatic person to when the next person will be infected and display symptoms.

A smaller interval number equates to an increased rate of virus reaching apex and, hence, more difficulties in efforts to control the COVID-19 pandemic. The conclusion by Shahnaz shows how social distancing is a vital necessity to slow virus spread to make time needed to identify and isolate infected cases.

Social Distancing Will Reduce Infection Rate

Through social distancing practices, the serial interval number can be prolonged over time to reduce the rate of infection needed for the curve to reach its peak. This allows for the necessary period to implement important measures of testing, isolation of cases, and health care systems to prepare. The vital time is needed for a population’s health professionals to become equipped with necessities of equipment, personnel, and personal protective equipment (PPE) as it continuously treats patients with respiratory symptoms.