COVID19 - Your guide to social distancing, quarantine and isolation

With coronavirus pandemic taking over everything, terms like quarantine, self-isolation, and social distancing have become quite common. But, many people are still confused about what they actually mean. Consequently, a lot of government and medical fraternities are facing numerous challenges in handling a wide range of queries regarding their advisories. In this article, we will discuss all these terms in great detail to clear the air of confusion and help you understand them with the utmost clarity. Have a look: 

When we say social distancing, we are simply referring to keeping a certain amount of distance between yourself and the people around you, especially when you are outside your home.  Social distancing is basically done to prevent the transmission from a person who is showing coronavirus symptoms. 

India is practicing social distancing to curb the spread of COVID19 since the occurrence of lockdown 1.0. 

Social distancing is majorly practiced in places where there is a high risk of community spread. In such areas, individuals are advised to keep a distance of at least 6 feet or 2 meters from each other. 

Quarantine, in literal terms, means curbing the movement of people who might have been subjected to the virus. When someone is in quarantine, he or she is not allowed to meet other people including family members. This is basically done to check if the person starts showing symptoms of the diseases in a certain period of time. (usually 14 days) 

Health authorities are quarantining people who have been either in close contact with the infected person, or have a travel history to a place that is facing the issue of community spread. A person can be quarantined at a special medical facility or simply at home. A person in a quarantine facility is checked for various signs and symptoms of the coronavirus infection on a regular basis. 

Besides quarantine and social distancing, healthcare authorities can send any person who has coronavirus symptoms into isolation. Many hospitals have special isolation units for such patients. People who show mild symptoms are advised to practice home-isolation where they have to maintain a proper distance from all the family members. If symptoms get worse, coronavirus treatment is continued in hospital settings until the patient gets fully recovered. 

There are many isolation units in India where coronavirus patients are treated. To know more about isolation units or quarantine facilities in your city, it is advisable to contact the government or medical authorities. 

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