Social distancing
From Wikinfo
Social distancing is a Public Health non-medical strategy dealing with epidemics and pandemics. It is about mitigating and controlling the spread of infectious diseases among the human population. It pertains solely to human-borne pathogens. In dealing with an epidemic (or pandemic), the strategy is two fold in slowing the human-to-human spread of the disease: one response is to quarantine the affected individuals; the other is to promote social distancing of non-affected persons. This second approach entails educating and encouraging the public to restrict contact with one another. The spread of infectious diseases is more of an issue in urban/city environments where people are the most congregated.
This measure only works with human-borne pathogens; this measure is not for instances of Bubonic Plague where the pathogen is a flea borne pathogen and for cases of malaria which is a mosquito borne pathogen.
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Strategies for social distancing
In endemics and pandemics, it is necessary, in order to slow and contain the disease, to limit human-to-human contact. This can be accomplished by many actions for the immediate duration of the life of the disease or until a vaccine is made available. Actions are determined by the degree of contagiousness and lethality of the disease. For instance, the common cold is an infectious disease; it is highly contagious but has no lethality to the grand majority of the human population therefore it doesn't require Public Health measures such as quarantining and social distancing. On the other hand deadly forms of Influenza and the Avian Bird Flu (if it becomes human borne pathogen), will indoubtedly be candidates for social distancing.
Social distancing measures undertaken which can be used is the closing of schools and colleges; the postponing of public events such as fairs and concerts; shutting down public transport such as busses and subways; restricting air travel; closing borders; quarantining whole cities; and encouraging the public to move to the country. All or some measures will be chosen depending on the circumstances.
Social distancing throughout history
In Hebrew society as related in the Bible, the Hebrews were commanded not to mix or meet people infected with leprosy.
In the days of sailing ships, when ships had an outbreak of influenza, they were to fly black flags in order to warn ships away from them. They were also quarantined in port and force was used to keep the sailors on board to prevent spread.
Miscellania
- In a sense, religious laws, within Judiasm and Christianity against fornication and adultery can be seen as a form social distancing. They only sanction men and women are only to have sexual relations to the person they are married to. Naturally, by punishing extra-marital relations these laws would have an impact in the area of Public Health because they would slow down and inibit the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STD's) such as herpes, gonorrhea , and syphilis and many others.
