The Rules of Social Distancing - Coronavirus

Many Americans in recent days have received emails directing them to start working remotely, or announcing that schools would be canceled for weeks in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Major events are also being called off with a domino-like effect, including Coachella and South by Southwest, March Madness and virtually all sports events, business conferences, even religious services across the country.

In many cases, the action is prophylactic — no one at work or school may be sick yet — though with each passing day, more of these decisions are being made in response to a community member testing positive for Covid-19, or the risk that contact with large groups of people could exacerbate transmission of the virus.

The closures are a way to enforce social distancing, a crucially important public health intervention that can help stop coronavirus transmission by avoiding crowds and large gatherings such as weddings, concerts, conferences, sporting events, and mass transit. Best practice requires maintaining at least a six-foot distance between yourself and others.

You may have already come into contact with an infected person — the woman who rode the bike before you at SoulCycle, the kindly fellow who coughed while standing next to you in line at Costco, or someone who touched your mail as it made its way to your mailbox. (At least one study estimates that about 25 percent of transmissions of coronavirus may have occurred in pre-symptomatic stages — meaning it may be spread by people who don’t yet know they have the virus.)