Prevent Coronavirus through social distancing

Lillian Paulino, 2020,

Charcoal, 18” x 24”,

2020, Figure Drawing

Over the past few months, SARS-CoV-2, otherwise known as COVID-19, has been classified as a pandemic. As a result, people have been trying to find ways to avoid and prevent the virus from affecting their lives any further than it already has.

One of the leading ways to combat it is through social distancing, where an individual avoids large crowds that may have come into contact with the coronavirus. Establishments that have a higher number of people inside, such as malls, should be avoided. Social distancing is equally important at smaller locations like gas stations, too, where there can still be a lot of traffic.

Maureen Bredbenner, an operating room nurse at Lehigh Valley Hospital, has more information on how social distancing works.

“It prevents an increase in the amount of people that could get sick with the virus and also aids the healthcare system with admitting too many people at once to a point where hospitals get overcrowded,” Bredbenner stated.

According to the Lehigh Valley Health Network’s website, the virus itself is known to spread via the respiratory system as well as by contamination. If one were to have the virus and cough in a public area, the cough can linger and the infection may enter the system by the mouth, nose, or lungs. If the virus contaminates a surface that someone later touches with their hand and decides to rub their eyes or mouth, the virus can enter this way as well.

For more details on how to avoid and prevent COVID-19, visit www.lvhn.org.