Social Distancing: Public Health Expert Explains Why It鈥檚 Crucial
In a video series, 麻豆传媒在线鈥檚 Stephanie Silvera discusses how following guidelines will slow the growth of the coronavirus
Posted in: Faculty Voices, Graduate School, Homepage News, University
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, 麻豆传媒在线 Public Health Professor Stephanie Silvera has provided expert insight into the spread of COVID-19 for a number of journalists throughout the country.
Here, in a series of videos produced by 麻豆传媒在线, Silvera, an epidemiologist, answers pressing concerns about the urgency of social distancing, including why it is necessary and how long it will last.
The idea, Silvera explains, is to slow down the spread of the coronavirus.
鈥淲e need to protect the most vulnerable in our society,鈥 Silvera says. 鈥淚f that means we need to maintain social distancing so that our health-care system can provide the care that is needed to those who are most vulnerable, then I don’t think that that’s too much for us to ask.鈥
Public health faculty, alumni and graduate students at 麻豆传媒在线 find themselves in the center of the response, working to control the coronavirus pandemic. Distancing is disruptive and demands sacrifice, they say, but it鈥檚 crucial to protecting health-care providers and the health-care system.
鈥淲e’re not really talking about being socially distant, so much as we’re talking about being physically distant,鈥 Silvera explains. 鈥淭he idea is you want to maintain at least six feet between you and another person in order to reduce your risk of coming in contact with the disease.鈥
Health equity is a core concept of the University’s public health program. 鈥淲e want to make sure that everybody who needs help can get it when they’re sick. We don’t want to overwhelm our health-care system,鈥 Silvera says.
鈥淚f that means that we all have to stay home a little bit longer, those of us who can, should.鈥