As the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases are on the rise, panic has ensued across the globe. The signs of alarm are everywhere, both big and small. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently declared it a global pandemic and has urged the countries to take urgent and aggressive actions to contain the virus. According to World Info, there are 1,56,885 confirmed cases of coronavirus in 153 countries and territories and 5,839 people have died, as of March 15, 2020, while over 75,000 patients have been cured.
While some countries including China, South Korea and Japan have shown some success in slowing the rate of infection, the United States and European nations are still witnessing exponential growth in the COVID-19 cases. The big question, however, is how will the coronavirus pandemic end? After China’s aggressive lockdown, Spain and France have announced drastic countrywide restrictions to limit the spread of the virus. Meanwhile, France announced the closing of most businesses including restaurants, movie theatres and bars. The authorities in the United States have restricted international travel, schools have been shut and the authorities are now suggesting social distancing.
In India, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has increased to 107. Positive cases have been reported from Kerala, Delhi, Rajasthan, Telangana, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Ladakh, and Maharashtra. Maharashtra became the hotspot of India coronavirus pandemic with 32 positive cases. Schools, colleges and movie theatres in Delhi, Haryana, Bihar and Punjab have been shut down till March 31 while Karnataka announced the closure of schools and colleges for a week. All tourist visas have been suspended till April 15 and all the travellers, including Indian nationals, who are arriving from or have visited the coronavirus-affected countries after February 15, 2020, are being quarantined for a period of 14 days.
WHO has declared social distancing as one of the sure-shot measures against the spread of the virus.
What is social distancing?
Ensuring that you maintain at least a three-feet distance from anyone who is coughing or sneezing is what is being described as social distancing. It is a term that epidemiologists (public health professionals who investigate patterns and causes of disease in humans) are using to refer to a conscious effort to reduce close contact between people. The Public Health England, which is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care in the UK, stated that the virus can spread if you spend more than 15 minutes within the radius of two meters of an infected person.
#SocialDistancingNow is trending on Twitter and here are some of the tweets that explain why it's crucial in the pandemic situation.
Recently, a video of an Italian man wearing a large disc to practice social distancing went viral on Twitter. The 12-second-clip shows the man wearing the disc around him while he was in the Testaccio market in Rome, Italy. Watch the video here:
Here are some additional preventive measures that you can take to make sure you’re not infected by the virus.
Featured Image: NDTV
Start your 2020 right with our cool new planners and statement-making sweatshirts that are fun, fab and 100% you! Psst... there's an additional 20% off too, so head to POPxo.com/shop and take it up a POP!