Social distancing. Quarantining. Isolating. These terms weren’t regular parts of our lexicon last year at this time. And even 9 months in to the COVID-19 Pandemic, many of us still aren’t sure about the differences between these practices.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention clarify that social or physical distancing means staying at least 6 feet from other people who are not from your household. Social distancing is something everyone should do, along with other everyday preventive actions, such as wearing face coverings and handwashing. Quarantine, on the other hand, separates and restricts the movement of people who were exposed to COVID-19 to see if they become sick. People in quarantine should stay home, separate themselves from others, monitor their health, and follow directions from their health department. A person who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 must not only stay home but also isolate by separating themselves from others in their home, staying in a specific “sick room” and using a separate bathroom.
The original recommendation for a 14-day quarantine was based on estimates of the upper bounds of the COVID-19 incubation period. However, this length can cause economic hardship that may reduce compliance. To reduce this burden, the CDC offers the following options: quarantine can end after Day 7 if a diagnostic specimen tests negative and if no symptoms were reported during daily monitoring or after Day 10 without testing if no symptoms have been reported.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/social-distancing.html
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/quarantine.html
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/isolation.html
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/more/scientific-brief-options-to-reduce-quarantine.html