Think The Covid-19 Pandemic Is Over? Do Not Ditch Social Distancing And Other Measures Just Yet! | Respiratory tract disorders and diseases articles | Body & Health Conditions center

It has been almost six months since the first case of COVID-19 was detected in China. Amidst crushing allegations that the country hid the true number of infected people, China informed the WHO about a possible epidemic spreading in one of its largest provinces.

Even readers who were aware of the new outbreak from the beginning are unlikely to have been very concerned at first, unless they were living in China. But that changed quickly. As the number of coronavirus cases began to rise rapidly, and as the virus spilled over to neighboring countries, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, a disease that spreads across continents.

Countries started imposing unprecedented lockdowns, forcing people to stay indoors for weeks to contain the spread, or as the phrase we're now all familiar with goes, to "flatten the curve". In a matter of months, COVID-19 remodeled human behavior completely — and now, people are fed up and eager to get back to the way things were. But will that ever be safe?

Why are COVID-19 lockdowns being lifted if the virus is still at large?

As the social and economic pressures grew, countries have been forced to relax the coronavirus lockdowns, in order to balance the economic present and future against public health concerns. People, especially in middle-income countries like India, have been growing increasingly restless because of the loss of livelihood the pandemic induced. Developed countries throughout Europe and North America, too, started feeling the economic pangs of a prolonged lockdown, nudging them towards opening up businesses.

The coronavirus lockdowns are ending, but the battle rages on

As lives slowly limp back towards normalcy, people are returning to their daily work schedules. In the hustle and bustle of life, it is but natural to forget about the looming threat of COVID-19. As the day to day activities resume, fear will take a back seat and people will go about their lives in a normal manner.

The lockdowns, no doubt, have helped in slowing down the spread of the virus, reducing the rate of spread of the virus, but the threat is far from over. We have not found a vaccine for the virus and may not develop one for quite some time yet. We have been forced to learn to live with the coronavirus — and this is where social distancing comes in.

COVID-19: The enemy remains invisible, but hasn't gone away

COVID-19 is one of the most infective viruses we have seen in recent times. It is sheer luck that it is not more dangerous than it has already proven to be, otherwise the world would have truly come crashing down. As we know from our experiences of the last few months, COVID-19 can be described as an invisible enemy, which can strike at any time, in any place. Taking things easy is not what you want to do right now.

All the reasons that caused the lockdowns in the first place still exist. Even if the number of new cases in your area has dropped significantly, remember that that success was achieved thanks to stay-at-home orders and social distancing. If we go back to the lifestyles we had before COVID-19 came along, even the most optimistic numbers can start looking grim again very quickly.

Social distancing is here to stay

As we start getting back to our routine lives, it is even more important to remind ourselves about why we went into lockdown in the first place. All the knowledge which we have acquired about social distancing, through repeated advisories by the international organizations and governments, should now be put to good use.

Why you need to keep on social distancing

All research has shown that COVID-19 most commonly spreads from one human to another via "droplet transmission".

Droplet transmission occurs when a person comes in close contact, such as within one meter, of an infected person, having symptoms like coughing or sneezing. When an infected person coughs or sneezes, fine droplets of infected particles get suspended in the surrounding air, exposing the mouth, nose, or eyes of a nearby person to a potential infection.

Studies have found that an asymptomatic, but infected individual can spread the virus to more than 400 people in 40 days if no social distancing is maintained. The same person, with adequate social distancing, can infect only two to three people in the same period.

Thus, maintaining a distance of a minimum of one meter from other people will greatly help in reducing the spread of the coronavirus.

No matter whether they are your colleagues, friends, or strangers on public transport, it is important to maintain physical distance from just about everyone, for your safety and theirs.

Try to avoid unnecessary commutes, and work from home as much as possible. Avoid going to restaurants or pubs, and instead, you can opt for takeaway or home deliveries.

Social distancing measures to follow after the lockdown ends

The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) has provided various guidelines in order to limit the spread of the virus as we resume our normal lives.

While we should avoid close human contact, we should also frequently wash our hands with soap, scrubbing them for at least 20 seconds, followed by rinsing our hands with clean water and drying them completely. When water or soap is not available, alcohol-based sanitizers with an alcohol content of at least 60 percent can be used.

Keep your face and nose covered whenever you go out, with a cloth or a mask, to reduce the risk of any infected droplets coming in contact with your nose and mouth.

Avoid touching any surfaces in public places, especially door handles, table-tops, counters, and anything else you'd previously have touched without even realizing it. To avoid any accidental touches to a potentially infected surface, use your elbows to open doors, instead of grabbing the handle. Use disposable gloves if required.

Avoid touching your nose and mouth, especially while removing your face covers, and avoid rubbing your eyes.

Ditch the traditional handshake, and instead, go with a fist bump, or even better, a Namaste, in order to avoid physical contact.

A final word

As time has passed by, one thing that governments and people around the world have realized is that we cannot remain locked down indefinitely. We have to learn to live with the virus until scientists come up with some sort of treatment to cure the disease or a vaccine to prevent infection.

The only way in which we can limit the spread while going about our lives is to not let our guards down. It takes only one second of laxity to invite a potential infection. As the cliche goes, "it is always better to err on the side of caution".

Yes, your colleagues, friends, and relatives may think you are being paranoid or even rude. They may insist that the pandemic is over and there is no reason to worry now. But being labeled paranoid is a small price to pay for maximizing their safety as well as your own — so keep up the good work, and keep social distancing.