[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2020\/03\/social-distancing\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2020\/03\/social-distancing\/","headline":"Social Distancing During a Public Health Crisis","name":"Social Distancing During a Public Health Crisis","description":"Disclaimer: At UPMC HealthBeat, we strive to provide the most up-to-date facts in our stories when we publish them. We also make updates to our content as information changes. However, education about COVID-19 can shift quickly based on new data, emerging variants, or other factors. The information in this story was accurate as of its […]","datePublished":"2020-03-20","dateModified":"2022-06-22","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/infectious-diseases-regions","name":"Infectious Diseases","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/infectious-diseases-regions","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/infectious-diseases\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/iStock-1096591210.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/iStock-1096591210.jpg","height":325,"width":754},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2020\/03\/social-distancing\/","about":["COVID-19","Living and Wellness","Safety"],"wordCount":545,"keywords":["COVID-19"],"articleBody":"Disclaimer: At UPMC HealthBeat, we strive to provide the most up-to-date facts in our stories when we publish them. We also make updates to our content as information changes. However, education about COVID-19 can shift quickly based on new data, emerging variants, or other factors. The information in this story was accurate as of its publish date. We also encourage you to visit other reliable websites for updated information, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and your state and local governments.\u00a0When an infectious disease is spreading in a community, governments and individuals can take steps to try to prevent it. One option is social distancing.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), social distancing includes:Staying out of public settingsAvoiding large gatherings of peopleMaintaining at least 6 feet of distance from others when possibleBut what does it mean? And how can it help prevent the spread of disease?How Does Social Distancing Work?Social distancing attempts to reduce the spread of disease by limiting close contact among people, which the CDC defines as within 6 feet.Unlike quarantine and isolation \u2013 two other prevention options \u2013 social distancing doesn\u2019t require you to stay in one place to avoid spreading disease. Instead, you take steps to avoid large groups of people to lower the risk of disease spread.Examples of distancing when an infectious disease is spreading include:Companies telling employees to work from homeSchools canceling in-person classesShutdown of businesses like movie theaters, malls, daycare centers, and librariesRestrictions on public transportation and travelPostponement or cancellation of sporting events, concerts, music festivals, parades, and other large gatheringsCan It Prevent Disease?Some respiratory illnesses can spread person-to-person through airborne particles.When someone who is sick talks, coughs, or sneezes, they release particles into the air. Those particles then can land in the mouth, nose, or eyes of someone in close contact, possibly infecting that person.Studies have shown that distance measures can help slow the spread of contagious diseases.A 2018 report examined workplace social distancing during the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic. It found workplace social distancing caused a reduction in flu cases, especially when combined with other non-medicine preventive measures. The reduction was smaller if workplaces delayed these tactics or had lower compliance.Another study of the H1N1 pandemic reported that mandatory school closures in Mexico reduced flu transmission rates.These measures are most effective when governments or other officials put them in place early. A March 2020 report found social distancing and other preventive measures could have reduced COVID-19 cases in China if implemented sooner.SourcesEffectiveness of Workplace Social Distancing Measures in Reducing Influenza Transmissions: A Systematic Review . BMC Public Health. What Is 'Social Distancing?' Here's How to Best Practice It as Coronavirus Spreads. Time. Interim US Guidance for Risk Assessment and Public Health Management of Persons with Potential Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Exposures: Geographic Risk and Contacts of Laboratory-confirmed Cases . Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Considerations Relating to Social Distancing Measures in Response to the COVID-19 Epidemic . European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Effect of Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions for Containing the COVID-19 Outbreak: An Observational and Modelling Study .  Flu Pandemic Study Supports Social Distancing . National Institutes of Health. 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