Social Distancing

In news:

• With the World Health Organization declaring COVID-19 a global pandemic, the need for social distancing to prevent the spread of the infection is being underscored.

About Social distancing

• Social distancing is a term applied to certain actions that are taken by Public Health officials to stop or slow down the spread of a highly contagious disease.
• Social distancing measures are taken to restrict when and where people can gather to stop or slow the spread of infectious diseases.
• Social distancing measures include limiting large groups of people coming together, closing buildings and canceling events.
• Today, social distancing measures are most often thought about as a way to slow the spread of pandemic influenza, and now, COVID-19.
• Health experts have looked at past pandemics and found that during the 1957-58 pandemic, the spread of the disease followed public gatherings such as conferences and festivals.
• And during this pandemic, the highest attack rates were seen in school children, due to their close contact in a crowded setting.
• 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 most effective when the infection can be transmitted via droplet contact (coughing or sneezing); direct physical contact, including sexual contact; indirect physical contact (e.g. by touching a contaminated surface such as a fomite); or airborne transmission (if the microorganism can survive in the air for long periods).
• Social distancing may be less effective in cases where the infection is transmitted primarily via contaminated water or food or by vectors such as mosquitoes or other insects, and less frequently from person to person.
• Health experts believe that avoiding crowds of people will be important in slowing the spread of COVID-19.
• Drawbacks of social distancing can include loneliness, reduced productivity, and the loss of other benefits associated with human interaction.

PRELIMS QUESTION:

Q. Consider the following statements.

1. Social distancing is a set of nonpharmaceutical infection control actions intended to stop or slow down the spread of a contagious disease

2. It is equally effective in cases of vector-borne diseases and air-borne infectious diseases

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a. 1 only

b. 2 only

c. Both 1 and 2

d. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer to Prelims question