A lot of people are familiar with the term "social distancing" but what's the importance of that term? Social distancing by definition is "maintaining a physical distance between people and reducing the number of times people come into close contact with each other". The cases of coronavirus in Michigan are increasing at a CRAZY rate and no one knows why. That's why I think it is crucial to learn more about this. In the past, the coronavirus had a range of 3 - 6 ft if the person is coughing/sneezing. This is because it's transmitted through droplets suspended in the air. However, new studies have shown that a single sneeze might transmit the virus up to 27 ft. Furthermore, standing next to someone who's talking or breathing can also transmit the disease now. I feel like many people don't understand why this concept of social distancing is so crucial or the virus itself so I'm here to explain it a little. To do this, I will be making a comparison to influenza, which is otherwise known as the seasonal flu.
First, it's crucial to understand what an R0 is. An R0 is known as the basic reproduction number and tells you the average number of people that'll catch the disease from one person. Coronavirus's R0, as of now, is around 1.5-3.5, it has not yet been definitely determined. Influenza has a R0 of 1.3. Although the difference might be small, after 10 cycles of the R0, influenza only causes 56 people to be sick while the coronavirus would cause 2047 people to be sick (if the R0 value is 2). That's a difference of almost 2000 people being sick. Thus, if we socially distance ourselves from each other, the chances of individuals meeting other people to transmit the disease is dramatically decreased.
Second, the incubation period between influenza and coronavirus makes a huge difference. The incubation period is how long, on average, you have the virus for without showing symptoms. Influenza has an average incubation period of 2 days while coronavirus has an incubation period that stretches to 14 days. Scientists are not 100% sure yet but you can still be contagious at this time and actively spreading the disease. Social distancing plays a crucial role here because if you are to catch the virus, you'll most likely get symptoms before going outside again for groceries or something else (within 2 weeks). That way, you'll know you must quarantine yourself before hand.
Third, herd immunity does not play a role when dealing with the coronavirus. For influenza, many of us get vaccines which blocks transmission between people. If person A (has the flu) talks to person B (who is vaccinated), there will be no transmission and the chain will be ended right there. However, there is no vaccine for coronavirus so the transmission is going crazy. The only way to prevent the transmission is physically distancing yourself.
Fourth, a lot of people are arguing that the coronavirus is not that deadly. Influenza has a fatality rate of 0.1% and 2 years ago, in the USA, killed 60,000 people. Right now, Coronavirus can have a fatality rate of anywhere between 1% to 6% . That means coronavirus is potentially anywhere from 10x to 60x more fatal than influenza. Young people in the USA, in their 20s, are passing away. No one is safe from this disease so the mentality of being immune has no base. I firmly believe that if we are not better about social distancing and controlling this disease, the estimates of 100,000 - 200,000 deaths are low which is extremely sad.
Fifth, show some respect to the people who are risking their lives on the front line everyday. From nurses to doctors, these people are putting their lives on the line so the least we can do is our part to stop the spread of the disease so these people can return to their homes safely without the constant fear of getting sick for the new few months.
In conclusion, everyone should practice social distancing to the best of their ability. This is not a joke and as long as people don't take this seriously, states will be forced to stay locked down. You know when the top doctors in the USA are saying the American public are not taking this situation seriously and that's why the curve is increasing, it's bad. So for all of you that are going outside, please stay indoors and quarantined. We all want this to end as fast and possible so we can go out and enjoy our lives so STAY INDOORS.
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