Stay Safe by Social Distancing

 

Apart from the word “Misinformation” being popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, “Social Distancing” has also become a concern among citizens locally as well as countries all over the world. 

 

What is social distancing? As defined by Wikipedia, social distancing, or physical distancing: 

is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures taken to prevent the spread of a contagious disease by maintaining a physical distance between people... by reducing the probability that a given uninfected person will come into physical contact with an infected person, the disease transmission can be suppressed, resulting in fewer deaths. The measures are combined with good respiratory hygiene and hand washing. 

 

Anne Schuchat, the Principal Deputy Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)[1], explains that “Usually when we talk about health and wellness, it’s all about connectedness and really reaching out and being together with community, family, friends, loved ones. But social distancing means trying to keep some space between you and other people.” Therefore, in the eyes of our COVID-19 experts, social distancing is not the same as quarantining or isolating oneself. It’s “trying to keep some space between you and other people” about six feet of space, or a distance of 1.5-1.8 metre advocated by the Hong Kong Government. This is why many public events and activities where individuals are typically crammed close to one another are on hold. Class suspension, home office policy, travelling service suspension, closing of recreational facilities, closing half of the seats in restaurants, or even closing the borders between countries, etc. are some of the examples of physical and social distancing.

 

Why social distancing is needed? Schuchat says, “We think that infections are spread by respiratory droplets, spread when you’re within about six feet of another person. And so avoiding those circumstances where you’re going to be really in close quarters with lots of other people can help achieve social distancing.”

 

“In viewing that there were increasing number of cases and some community outbreaks with more citizens being infected, we need to remain vigilant and continue the social-distancing measures,” Hui, a respiratory health expert at Chinese University says. “Initially, social-distancing measures on restaurants et cetera are supposed to last for 14 days. I think there is a good chance it will be extended. Because we are still seeing an increasing number of cases and some community outbreaks.”

 

Why people need to cooperate with this policy? To minimise the risk of COVID-19 spreading in the community, the HKSAR government has advised all citizens to work together to intensify measures on social distancing. School suspension has been announced to actualise the policy on social distancing since early February until further notice[2]. Members of the public are advised strongly to reduce social contact to protect themselves and others. People should stay at home, stay away from crowded places, work from home, avoid social gatherings, do not shake hands when meeting people; and avoid meal gatherings...

 

So, as students and with your reflection after reading the information provided above, below are a few questions that you might need to learn from your personal experience regarding school suspension and social distancing. Please give me some of your thoughts.

 

1. Did class suspension affect my learning and physical as well as social distancing from my teachers, my classmates and the school as a whole? Please elaborate.
2. What are the good points of “Social Distancing”? What are its defects?
3. Think positively, how can we be benefited under this policy?
4. What can we do if we want to make best use of this social distancing period (with three suggestions at least)?

 

If you think of some brilliant ideas, please email me your answers to the following address: chowpy@web.wfjlps.edu.hk. Thank you.