During this time while we’re still encountering a community challenge in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping connection with people becomes different. Everything changes, including how we make contacts and interactions with one another.
Because the outbreak happens almost suddenly with not much time for preparation, keeping a distance from others can be quite difficult to act immediately. Normally, we all make contacts with other people every day.
Among your everyday steps to prevent COVID-19, keeping space between you and others is essentially the best way to avoid the exposure to this virus and slowing its spread locally and across the world.
Let’s quickly capture a bit about social distancing and the importance of it.
What is social distancing?
Social distancing is keeping space, stay at least 6 feet or 2 meters from other people, no gathering in groups, and staying out of crowded places and avoid mass gatherings.
When COVID-19 is spreading in your area, everyone should limit close contact with individuals outside your household in both indoor and outdoor areas. As you may know, people can spread the virus before they realize they are sick, so it is important to stay away from others when possible even if you have no symptoms. Social distancing is helpful in that it shields us from mental and physical harms.
Covid-19 can spread mainly among people who closely contact for a period. It happens when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks, and droplets from their mouth or nose are launched into the air and land in the mouths or noses of people nearby. The droplets can also be inhaled into the lungs.
It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or eyes. However, this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads. COVID-19 also can live for hours or days on a surface, depending on factors such as sunlight and humidity. Therefore, social distancing helps limit contact with infected people and surfaces that are contaminated.
Although the risk of severe illness may be different for everyone, anyone can get and spread COVID-19. Knowing this, everyone holds a responsibility in slowing the spread and protecting themselves, their loved ones, and their community.
What should we do to decrease the pandemic?
If the risk of infection occurs, separate yourself from others to be safe.
Ways to keep the connection with others:
As mentioned, social distancing doesn’t mean being alone or totally separated from outside. We can still contact others in different ways below:
We can still call, chat or even make video calls. Take this time to learn more about each other. Meeting up by face was always more difficult than calling everyone together in one go. Don’t overlook the importance of staying in touch with friends and family during this uncertain time, to check up on each other.
In terms of working or keeping your business running, there is no better time than now to explore new technologies that support the work and facilitate you.
After all, let’s take some time every day to reflect and be creative in looking at how you can help to minimize the spread of COVID-19 while fulfilling your socializing desires and maintaining meaningful connections with people too.