Social distancing or physical distancing is a set of non pharmaceutical interventions or measures taken to prevent the spread of a contagious disease by maintaining a physical distance between people and reducing the number of times people come into close contact with each other. It involves keeping a distance of six feet (two meters) from others and avoiding gathering together in large groups.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has also described social distancing as a set of “methods for reducing frequency and closeness of contact between people in order to decrease the risk of transmission of disease. During the 2019-2020 coronavirus pandemic, the CDC revised the definition of social distancing as ” remaining out of congregate settings, avoiding mass gatherings, and maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet or 2mters) from others when possible.
Previously, in 2009, the World Health Organization described social distancing as “keeping at least an arm’s length distance from others and minimizing gatherings. It is combined with good respiratory hygiene and hand washing, and is considered the most feasible way to reduce or delay a pandemic.
By reducing the probability that a given uninfected person will come into physical contact with an infected person, the disease transmission can be suppressed, resulting in fewer deaths. The measures can be combined with good respiratory hygiene and hand washing. During the 2019-2020 coronavirus pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) suggested the reference to ” physical” as an alternative to “social”, in keeping with the notion that it is a physical distance which prevents transmission, people can remain socially connected via technology.
To slow down the spread of infectious diseases and avoid overburdening health care systems, particularly during a pandemic, several social distancing measures are used, including the closing of schools and workplaces, isolation, quarantine, restricting movemey of people and the cancellation of mass gatherings. Such measures have been successfully implemented in several previous epidemics. In St. Louis, shortly after the first cases of influenza were detected in the city during the 1918 flu pandemic, authorities implemented school closures,bans on public gatherings and other social distancing interventions. The death rates in St. Louis were much lss than in Philadelphia, which despite having cases of influenza, allowed a mass parade to continue and did not introduce social distancing until more than two weeks after it’s first cases.
Social Social distancing measures are more effectivewhen the infectious disease spreads via droplets contact ( coughing or sneezing), direct physical contact, including sexual contact, indirect physical contact (by touching a contaminated surface) or airborne transmit ( if the microorganisms can survive in the air for long periods). The measures are less effective when an infection is transmitted primarily via contaminated water or food or by vectors auch as mosquitoes or other insects.
Drawbacks of social distancing can include loneliness, reduced productivity and loss of other benefits associated with human interaction.
The world’s biggest brads such as McDonald’s, coca cola, Volkswagen,Audi and Nike are prompting social distancing through new logo designs amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Experts aorind the world have been raising an aalarm about social distancing and its essential importance in order to stop the spread of the highly contagious COVID-19. Top brands are doing their part to promote social distancing and encourage people to stay home by creating new social distancing logos.
McDonald posted a picture with pulled apart golden arches emphasizing that in spite of temporary separation, the company and its customers can always be together.
Coca-Cola promoted “social distancing” through its ad with it’s logo’s letters separated. “Staying apart is the best way to stay united”, the ad says, referring to the quarantine that has been imposed in many countries.
Audi and Volkswagen were among the brands that encourage people to stay home and keep their distance. While Audi separatedits four rings in a video and posted it on their social media account, Volkswagen pulled apart the V and W in it’s logo.
And ad executive has praised brands for the creativity and innovation they have shown within the scope of social responsibility.
