Social Distancing During COVID-19 Is A Social Responsibility

Why staying at home and practicing social distancing is important now more than ever.

Earlier this month, The World Health Organization(WHO) declared Covid-19 a pandemic, which is not a term thrown around lightly. The number of infections has been rising rapidly. In the UAE, we are witnessing schools being closed, non-emergency surgeries postponed, weddings canceled, prayers in mosques suspended. None of which has ever happened before in our lifetime, which might explain why the reactions have varied from the extreme panic buying and emptying grocery shelves to denial and going out as if nothing is happening. It’s important to do our best to find the balance and stay calm during this confusing time. It is equally as important to recognize the seriousness of this outbreak and to do our part in containing it.

The term “social distancing” has become more of a meme rather than an important advice to follow. The aim of social distancing is to limit the contagion of an infectious disease; the fewer people you interact with the less likely you are to spread it.

You may feel like it’s okay for you to go out, whether it’s because you feel fine or believe your age bracket isn’t in the firing line. Although the symptoms may be mild for you if you get it, by going out you may be unknowingly exposing tens or hundreds of people. People who may have compromised immune systems or are in the age bracket that is affected much more severely. You may feel fine but we now know that it can take over a week for the symptoms to show, which means everyone you have encountered during that time was exposed to it. This is not to make you paranoid but to stress the importance of staying home and avoiding unnecessary interactions. The danger of the virus does not lie just in its symptoms but rather how rapidly contagious it is. The more it spreads, the more overwhelmed hospitals and doctors will be, and the more time it will take to provide the necessary lifesaving measures.

A short film made by a young Italian filmmaker titled “10 Days” is hoping to be a cautionary tale for anyone who hasn’t been taking Covid-19 seriously. In it, the Italian people are recording messages in quarantine to themselves 10 days ago of what they wished they did differently and urging us not to repeat the same mistakes that led to the collapse of an entire country’s health system. It is our responsibility to do whatever we can to limit the spread of the virus.

Find a way to minimize your interaction with people. Switch to phone calls instead of face to face meetings, choose food delivery instead of dining in. We live in an age of online shopping, if you can think of it, it’s likely you can have it delivered. Groceries, pharmacies, most stores will deliver to your doorstep so we can reserve going out for emergencies.

I urge you to re-examine every outing and how necessary it is. Before you leave your house, ask yourself if you really need to, if it can wait a while, or if it can be delivered to you.

It is imperative now more than ever to stay home as much as possible. To do our part in slowing the virus down. Our actions today have a direct effect on the health of our loved ones and our community in the long term. It is our social responsibility to practice social distancing. Staying home is a small price to pay for our collective health and safety.