Menu Close

Physical distancing measures slow spread of COVID-19, study finds

*A few weeks of staying physically distant can lower both numbers of COVID cases and related deaths ─Researchers

*Measures work, and policymakers should use them as an arrow in their quest to manage spread of epidemics

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

Sequel to the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, China November 2019, and its subsequent spread to other countries of the world, many consumers have grown accustomed to wearing nose masks, and physically or socially distancing when out in public places.

Recently, researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital have found that following physical distancing guidelines is an effective way to reduce the spread of Coronavirus, agency report says.

It was gathered that findings from their new study revealed that “just a few weeks of staying physically distant can lower both the number of COVID cases and the number of related deaths.”

Dr. Mark J. Siedner, a researcher said: “Many have strongly suspected that physical distancing policies helped interrupt COVID-19 transmission during the early days of the U.S. epidemic.

“This study adds clear evidence to support those suspicions. The results show the timing of government-issued orders correlated strongly with reductions in both cases and deaths.

“In short, these measures work, and policymakers should use them as an arrow in their quivers to get on top of local epidemics where they are not responding to containment measures.”

With regard to determining the benefits of staying physically distant, the researchers analysed nationwide data from the first five months of COVID-19.

This included detailed state-by-state information on closures of everything from schools to local businesses.

With this information, the researchers then, tracked how the virus spread in each state, as well as the number of deaths occurred in each region, report stated.

Overall, the study revealed that physical distancing measures were effective in containing the spread of COVID-19.

It didn’t take very long for such measures to prove their effectiveness: in less than a month, over 620,000 cases had been prevented.

As daily case counts dropped, the number of Coronavirus-related deaths also dropped while physical distancing rules were implemented, according to the study.

Meanwhile, the researchers say they hope that lawmakers can understand the significance of these findings and continue to put them into practice, especially as trends around the virus continue to change.

Dr. Siedner stated: “This is a case where past success does not predict future control. Until a vaccine is made available and widely deployed in an equitable fashion, we have few other options.

Fortunately, our data shows that these measures work, if we have the wherewithal to use them.”

Kindly Share This Story

 

Kindly share this story