What does "social distancing" mean during Coronavirus outbreak?

According to the CDC, social distancing is defined as "remaining out of congregate settings, avoiding mass gatherings, and maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet or 2 meters) from others when possible." The organization adds that, in terms of congregate settings, those include crowded public spaces like shopping centers, movie theaters, and stadiums.

Past that though, it's hard for the average person to know what "social distancing" truly means when it comes to their daily lives—questions around going to work, the grocery store, and even the gym arise. But, for the average (and again, healthy person) measures don't necessarily have to be as drastic as never leaving your home.

"For the average person, social distancing might mean not taking nonessential trips, trying to be mindful of how much contacts they have with other people, working remotely, and not attending mass gatherings or taking part in activities that might expose them to the virus," infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., senior scholar at the John's Hopkins Center for Health Security, tells Health.

Those recommendations change a bit, however, if you're part of the elderly or immunocompromised population. In that case, Dr. Adalja says it may be wise to be a little more stringent in limiting your contact with others—like spending more time at home and limiting contact with others even further. But overall, Dr. Adalja says it comes down to knowing your own personal health risks and using common sense. "Just be careful when you're out and be aware of the exposure risk you're facing," he says.

How is it different from self-isolation and self-quarantine?

Essentially, all three of these terms—social distancing, self-isolation (or isolation), and self-quarantine (or quarantine)—boil down to one thing: limiting personal and social contact, but on different levels.

According to the CDC, isolation and self-isolation separates sick people from those who aren't ill, and it can happen under medical supervision or not. Quarantine and self-quarantine, on the other hand, refers to separating and restricting the movement of those who are not yet sick, but have been exposed to the virus to see if they become sick.

The procedures for those who are self-isolating or self-quarantining for COVID-19 are similar, per the CDC: to stay home away from the general public and even limit contact with those they live with who are not infected with the virus.

The CDC also recommends those who are self-isolating or self-quarantining to monitor their symptoms carefully (and stay in communication with your doctor if symptoms develop or worsen), get enough rest and stay hydrated, wash your hands or use hand sanitizer frequently and according to directions, avoid sharing personal items with others in your household, clean household surfaces regularly, and even try to confine yourself to one room and sleep alone, if you are ill. Also important: While the general healthy public is recommended not to wear masks, those who are ill with COVID-19 and are around people should protect others by wearing a face mask.

While it's important to take the coronavirus seriously, and take appropriate measures for your own health and the health of others, per the advice of public health officials, it's also important to avoid panicking and to keep things in perspective, says Adam Splayer, MD, a board-certified cardiologist.

"You could just live in a bubble and all viruses, including the coronavirus, will still be around when you come up for air," he says. So again, your protection and the protection of others comes down to common sense: Wash your hands, don't touch your face (quite so much), stay away from others if you're sick, and limit situations that make you feel uncomfortable at this time. Essentially, per Dr. Splayer: "Be smart, be safe, and be careful."

Sourced from Health.com