While it may be disappointing to hear that sports events, festivals, school events, etc. have been canceled, there is a public health reason for these measures. In order to eliminate the spread of the coronavirus, we must practice social distancing. 

Put simply, social distancing means minimizing contact with people and has been referenced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as one of the best strategies in preventing the spread of the coronavirus. 

According to the World Health Organization, maintain at least two meters or six feet distance between yourself and anyone. When someone coughs or sneezes, they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain the virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease. This is why social distancing is practiced to ensure that the spread of the disease is reduced.

Moving on, social distancing has dramatically affected the minimizing and spreading of disease. In 2010, BioMed Central (BMC) Public Health assessed whether social distancing dramatically slowed or reduced the transmission of influenza during an outbreak. As a result, researchers found that workplace social distancing did reduce the number of overall flu cases.

There are some ways to stay in contact with people during social distancing—check- in with friends and family regularly, speak with them on the phone, text throughout the day or set up video calls to ensure that you are not getting too isolated.