Social distancing is avoiding the practice of getting together with other people in groups when possible. If we do need to go out, say to the grocery store or pharmacy, try to keep that visit brief and leave a reasonable zone of personal space around others, six feet if we can. Don’t forget to clean your hands when you go out and come back, as well as the shopping cart handle.
This is the exact opposite of being at a crowded parade, concert, or sporting event, and the reason that so many large events are being cancelled right now. There simply isn’t a way to attend and keep people far enough apart and clean.

And right now, when we know that even people who have no symptoms, and no idea, that they have the Coronavirus (COVID-19) can still give it to others, social distancing has become very important.

COVID-19 is passed easily through tiny droplets that float about three to six feet through the air when a person who has it coughs or sneezes. Those droplets are either breathed in, or land on nearby objects. If within a short time after those droplets contaminate that object, we touch it and then touch our eyes, nose, or mouth, we can get sick. This is how one sick person coughing in a crowded room could make many people sick at once, each of whom could then go on to make many more sick at other events, work conferences or social gatherings.

The result is two-fold: first, we get a lot of people sick in a short time, so everyone is competing for the same hospital beds. The number of beds in an Intensive Care Unit is even smaller. Remember, people in New Hampshire are often sent to Massachusetts hospitals if New Hampshire’s become full, but Massachusetts already has been hit hard and they can’t help right now. If the health care system gets overwhelmed, people can’t get needed care. If we can slow down the rate at which people are getting sick by not going to those concerts, and parades, and dinners out, the cases of the virus could slow down.

The second result of social distancing is that there are a lot of people out there who really, really shouldn’t get this virus. Maybe you’re in reasonably good health; maybe you fall into an age group that has good survivability from COVID-19, and for you, it would just be a miserable cold. For those over 60, or those with compromised immune systems, like your neighbor with cancer, your aunt with MS, that college friend with cystic fibrosis, or even a co-worker who has something they never even told you about because it’s not really your business – all of those people fall into a much higher risk group, and for them, COVID-19 could be deadly.  This is what social distancing is; this is why it’s so important.

In times like this, Franklin VNA and Hospice wants you to all know we are here for our community. We help keep you home, where you want to be, and help you recover in your home if you do get sick.

Franklin VNA and Hospice is your choice for excellence in Homecare and Hospice.
Choose local. Choose Excellence. Choose Franklin VNA and Hospice.
For more information, call Franklin VNA and Hospice at (603) 934-3454 or visit FranklinVNA.org.