What are the rules of social distancing? | Vox podcast (Transcript)

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What are the rules of social distancing? We asked an expert.

By Laura Bult and Danush Parvaneh
Length: 6 mins | Released: March 20, 2020

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To fight coronavirus, we need to change how we live. Social epidemiologist Carolyn Cannuscio says there is no happy medium when it comes to social distancing, if we're doing it right.  "I think it's time for us to take very extreme measures in our personal lives. I think our lives should look radically different right now than they normally do."

Carolyn Cannusio: My name is Carolyn Cannusio and I'm a social epidemiologist. Every action that we take and every way in which we can hold back from the public sphere in order to limit the opportunities for transmission is an opportunity truly to save a life.

Laura Bult: I'm wondering if there are just one or two concrete pieces of advice you would want people to follow.

Carolyn Cannusio: I think our lives should look radically different right now than they normally do. I would say limit your face to face interactions, work remotely whenever possible. No handshakes, no high fives, no hugs outside the home, stand six feet or more away from any person you're encountering in a public space, and severely restrict your travel from city to city, limiting that to truly urgent matters, and limit your engagement in the public sphere. Don't attend group gatherings, don't go to the theater, don't go to sporting events.

Carolyn Cannusio: What we're trying to prevent is contact with droplets when people sneeze, cough, or spit.

Laura Bult: I'm wondering what you think of small social gatherings. How big is too big?

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