As COVID-19 spreads to all corners of the globe, chatter of “social distancing” is dominating online discussion. But what is social distancing? Social distancing is a public health measure that’s implemented during highly contagious outbreaks, according to a fact sheet by the public health department in Santa Clara County, California. Josh Michaud, an associate director at a global health policy non-profit, said that in the past social distancing has helped to mitigate the effects of pandemics. “Earlier (and longer duration) social distancing measures were associated with less mortality and health burden,” he tweeted.

Source: National Post March 10, 2020 11:01 UTC