Scientists Find That Social Distancing Reduces COVID-19’s Infection Rate by Approximately 1% per Day
Social distancing, one of many interventions used to combat airborne communicable diseases. By Patrick James Hibbert 25 AUG 2020 Researchers predict social distancing will prevent a rapid, overwhelming epidemic according to modeling studies. Governments also used this type of intervention in prior pandemics. One being the 1918 influenza pandemic in which it had moderate success. There is not much information about the health benefits of imposing statewide social distancing measures to reduce the transmission of COVID-19. Because of this, a team of researchers from the United States, South Africa, and the United Kingdom conducted a study on it. They wanted to know what the COVID-19 case growth rate was, before and after social distancing measures where enacted. And, what the public health impacts of government-mandated non-pharmacological interventions were after they started and before they ended. In response to the Spanish Flu pandemic, social distancing and masks were used. Alb