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En español | “Social distancing” is a phrase that’s dominating news headlines and working its way into everyday conversation. A month ago, most Americans had never heard of it.
“It’s a strange term,” admits Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — one of the federal agencies that has been pushing the practice of social distancing as a way to slow the spread of the illness caused by the new coronavirus.
“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,” Schuchat adds.
For many communities across the country, this idea of space is quickly becoming the new normal. School districts have canceled classes, professional sports leagues have suspended their seasons, and crowded parks and museums have closed their gates.
It may seem excessive for those unaffected by the illness. But experts say it works. Here’s how.
For the latest coronavirus news and advice go to AARP.org/coronavirus.
Social distancing is not the same as quarantining or isolating oneself. It’s simply “trying to keep some space between you and other people” — about six feet of space, Schuchat says. This is why many public events and activities where individuals are typically crammed close to one another are on hold.
“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,” Schuchat says.
Space slows the spreadA key concept of social distancing is slowing the spread of the epidemic in order to “decrease the pressure on the health care system,” Schuchat says.
“You can imagine if 100 people were going to get sick over 100 days you would have a certain kind of pressure on the health care system. But if 100 people get sick all in the same day, it’s a different kind of pressure,” she says.
Staying home as much as possible and avoiding crowded spaces — even if you are young, healthy and symptom-free — helps reduce the risk of infection in the high-risk population.
Images of overloaded hospitals in Wuhan, China, and Northern Italy have illustrated just how dangerous an overwhelmed health care system can be during a pandemic. If society slows the spread, health care workers can “take better care of every individual person,” Schuchat says.
Social distancing protects high-risk individualsMost people who get COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus, experience mild to moderate symptoms, including fever, cough and shortness of breath, experts say. But for some people, the disease can be far worse. And early data show that older adults and individuals with underlying health conditions — such as diabetes, heart disease and lung disease — are more likely to experience severe illness, even death.
Staying home as much as possible and avoiding crowded spaces — even if you are young, healthy and symptom-free — helps reduce the risk of infection in the high-risk population.
“Often before people even know they’re sick, they could spread the virus. And that’s probably why we’ve seen such rapid spread around the world,” Schuchat says.
In essence: Keeping your distance from others helps keep others healthy.
“And we’re focusing quite a bit on protecting the vulnerable,” Schuchat adds.
Washing hands and covering coughs and sneezes are among the most important tactics experts say can help keep COVID-19 at bay. But several regions in the U.S. are adding a few more measures to their list of public health precautions.
In areas where the coronavirus is spreading, people are being told to work from home, if they can, and to avoid public places. The White House is urging all Americans to stay home as much as possible and to avoid groups of more than 10 people at least through April. Nonessential travel is also discouraged.
If you need to go to the store, go first thing in the morning when it’s less likely to be crowded, Schuchat says. And try to keep a safe distance from other shoppers.
Nursing homes have also barred visitors and nonessential employees during the coronavirus outbreak. Officials are encouraging family and friends to check in with loved ones with a phone call or video chat instead.
“And certainly check on your neighbors who may be keeping themselves at home” to reduce their risk of infection, Schuchat says. If you are healthy, ask “if they need any help with shopping, with groceries, with filling their prescriptions — anything like that,” she adds.
JODI JACOBSON/GETTY IMAGES
The government is urging all Americans to practice social distancing to slow the spread of the illness, but what that looks like may depend on where you live. The situation in New York, for example, may be different than things in Nebraska.
“We have a pretty diverse country,” Schuchat says.
“This virus is new and we’re still learning about it, and we’re trying to apply the best information possible every single day to protect Americans. It’s a changing situation, so stay informed. Keep up with the news, especially in your local area.”
Editor's note: This story was originally published on March 13, 2020. It's been updated to reflect recent social distancing recommendations.
Get an early start on the celebration of Earth Day with these 8 Planet-Friendly Ways To Celebrate Earth Day Celebrate Earth Day by making a few easy changes the Earth will appreciate.
The first Earth Day (called May Day at the time) was held in 1970 in the US and it’s often considered the start of the modern environmental movement.
Since that initial march against environmental destruction, Earth Day has evolved into a globally celebrated event, with festivities occurring in more than 200 countries.
In its simplest form, it’s a day for people to step back, take a deep breath and appreciate Earth in all its splendor. But for many people Earth Day holds the potential to ignite broad environmental action.
As an internationally recognized holiday, Earth Day is guaranteed to attract the attention of an enormous amount of people. So figuring out how to harness and activate that attention toward sustained action is something activists work hard on.
Be on the lookout for all the environmental groups spreading awareness on April 22nd--they’ll have good advice! But in your free time, celebrate Earth Day by making a few easy changes the Earth will appreciate.
The US alone consumes 50 billion plastic water bottles annually. Most of these bottles are not recycled and end up in landfills, in oceans and elsewhere, which harms organisms and the environment. Just creating these bottles uses 17 million barrels of gasoline, which would be enough to power 1.3 million cars for a year. Even more energy is then spent transporting water bottles and then recycling them.
Ending society’s addiction to unnecessary water bottles would be greatly appreciated by Earth.
You can start your transition to an eco-friendly reusable bottle on Earth Day. Here are a few good list to choose from.
2) Start composting
Earth is the ultimate recycler--it reuses everything that it creates with a little help from the Sun. And everything that lives on the planet is cool with this system of recycling--everything except humans.
Humans are the only things that willfully don’t recycle what they create and use. And that means that a lot of nourishing substances that would otherwise feed wildlife and help it flourish end up in landfills or on strips of asphalt or somewhere else.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Composting biodegradable food and materials is a great way to feed soil, organisms in the soil and plant life while reducing waste.
All you have to do is create a compost pile in your backyard or, if you’re a city slicker, store all your vegetable, fruit, and other natural scraps in a plastic bag in your freezer and then dump it when full at a compost collecting place.
3) Plant a garden
Plant some flowers and get a beautifully fragrant garden. And then plant some vegetables and get all the produce you need. Here’s a guide to starting a garden.
If you live in the city, check out this starter guide.
Trees are amazing. But humans relentlessly chop and burn them down. So this Earth Day buy a certificate from Stand for Trees to protect a batch of trees somewhere in the world that’s at risk of deforestation.
Building a birdhouse is definitely the easier option here. All you’ll need is a couple pieces of wood for birds to stand on and a place to put bird feed.
Starting a bee farm is more complex. But here’s a handy guide that will help you beat back the decline of bees around the world.
6) Make your home energy efficient
Houses consume a lot of energy for electricity and heating. In fact, 40% of the energy consumed in the US goes to residential and commercial buildings. For the world to avoid the worst consequences of climate change, everyone would have to consume a set amount of energy annually. The average US household surpasses that amount in 2 weeks.
Fortunately, there are many simple ways to cut down on this energy consumption.
From improving insulation to using LED lights to getting a water heater, improving a house’s energy efficiency both helps the environment and saves you a lot of money in the long-run. Here are a few pro tips.
7) Become a better grocery shopper
First, get a reusable grocery bag to limit all the plastic produced in the world.
Then try to buy fresh foods that you can carry in reusable containers. For example, fresh fruits and vegetables don’t come prepackaged. Also, nuts, lentils, coffee beans and many other dry goods can generally be purchased from bulk containers. By using reusable containers, you’re further reducing the amount of plastic in the world.
The Earth is a truly marvelous place that provides all of us with life. As humans, we can surely do a better job taking care of it.
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Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a real concern that we should all take seriously, especially for people living with diabetes. However, the CDC and other health organizations agree: the best way to combat coronavirus is to be prepared, not panicked.
How to Prepare for Coronavirus with DiabetesTake care of yourself, reduce your risk, and protect others by doing the following:
What You Need to Know about Diabetes and the Coronavirus (Diatribe)
Coronavirus and Diabetes - What You Should Know(Beyond Type 1)
Coronavirus and Older adults: What to Know and How to Prepare (CNN)
What to Buy if You're Quarantined at Home During the Coronavirus Pandemic (Business Insider)
How to Disinfect Your Space on an Airplane (New York Times)
Coronavirus Live Updates (NBC)
Be smart. Be safe. Take care of yourself and take care of each other.
We're in this together. ❤️
Learning from walking in another person's shoes!
A Brief Story of Kindness
A poor boy was selling goods from one door to another to pay for his studies. One day he found that he had only one dime left, and he was hungry. While approaching the next house, he decided to ask for a meal. But when a young woman has opened the door, he only dared to ask for a glass of water. She looked at him and understood that probably the boy is hungry. So she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it and then asked how much he owed her. The woman replied: "You don‘t own me anything. Mother taught us never to accept pay for a kindness“. "Then I thank you from the bottom of my heart“, he said. Now, he felt stronger not only physically, but his faith in God had grown as well. The boy's name was Howard Kelly.
Many years have passed. One day that woman became seriously ill. Local doctors could not help her. Therefore they sent her to a big city, where her rare disease would be studied by specialists. Dr Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he entered her room in the hospital, he immediately recognized the woman as the one who had shown kindness to him when he was poor. So moved was he, the doctor was determined to do his best to help her recover from her disease.
The struggle was long, but together they managed to overcome her illness. After some time, the woman received a bill for her treatment. She was worried that the amount to pay would be so significant, that it would take the rest of her life to pay for it. Finally, when the woman looked at the bill, she noticed words that were written on the side of the bill. The words were: "Paid in full with a glass of milk!"
Making the Most of Life Experiences
If you ask anyone what the purpose of life is, you’ll likely receive wildly different responses. The answer to this question is subjective and deeply personal. Different things are important to us throughout the course of our lives. Yet one thing stays with us no matter where we go: our experiences.
Finding ways to make the most of our experiences is a challenge that we face every day. As humans we ascribe value to the things we do, and it’s understandable. We like to feel that what we are doing has purpose. It’s important to find fulfillment in our relationships and careers. Cultivate your friendships and find company cultures that fulfill you. It's from those experiences in life that we learn and grow. In this process of pursuing what we love, we can learn valuable lessons about ourselves and the world around us.
The values we live by are worth more when we pass them on.
We choose values we hope most individuals would find encouraging and relevant. Then we provide an uplifting message based on each value, in an effort to encourage people to bring out the best in themselves.
As a nonpartisan, nonsectarian organization, we carefully design our public service messages to have general universal appeal.
The Foundation's small staff works with a network of writers, art directors and production professionals. These individuals represent a wide range of ideals, viewpoints and cultural backgrounds. Their diversity reinforces the idea that values can serve as common ground for all.
As a nonprofit organization offering public service announcements, we receive the generous support of air time and media space from many TV, radio and billboard companies. The Foundation does not pay for air time or media space, but rather benefits from donated media space which allows these messages to be seen and heard around the world.
My favorite public service notices on Television!
Best public service ads ever: https://www.passiton.com/who-we-are
Concert
Based on a true story, this poignant moment in a concert hall reminds us how even the most embarrassing situations can be turned around with a little patience and Encouragement.
Link:
https://www.passiton.com/inspirational-stories-tv-spots/100-concert/
Life Experience Story
A gentleman was walking through an elephant camp, and he spotted that the elephants weren’t being kept in cages or held by the use of chains.
All that was holding them back from escaping the camp, was a small piece of rope tied to one of their legs.
As the man gazed upon the elephants, he was completely confused as to why the elephants didn’t just use their strength to break the rope and escape the camp. They could easily have done so, but instead, they didn’t try to at all.
Curious and wanting to know the answer, he asked a trainer nearby why the elephants were just standing there and never tried to escape.
The trainer replied;
“when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.”
The only reason that the elephants weren’t breaking free and escaping from the camp was that over time they adopted the belief that it just wasn’t possible.
Moral of the story:
No matter how much the world tries to hold you back, always continue with the belief that what you want to achieve is possible. Believing you can become successful is the most important step in actually achieving it.
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