In the midst of COVID19 crisis, we hear several terms being used. These are:
Quarantine
Voluntary quarantine
Forced quarantine
Isolation
Voluntary isolation
Forced isolation
Community quarantine
Enhanced community quarantine
Lockdown
Social Distancing
Physical Distancing
What do they actually mean? I reviewed them today (April 4, 2020) for my self-learning. At times, I am confused. At times, I am not confident when I use a particular term or phrase.
Note: Explanations here will be in the setting of the COVID19 crisis and in the Philippines, as I understand them after my review (after my problem-based learning).
A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people to prevent the spread of COVID19.
A home quarantine consists of restriction on the movement of people to inside their residence.
A community quarantine consists of restriction on the movement of people to within a community or a geographical area with physical boundaries.
Lockdown is the restriction on the movement of people from leaving a geographical area with physical boundaries. A lockdown may be a community quarantine if the objective is to prevent the spread of COVID19 infection.
A community quarantine may consist of home quarantine or no home quarantine imposition by the government.
A home quarantine may be voluntary (also called self-quarantine) or forced home quarantine imposed by the government or any authority.
An isolation consists of complete separation of a person from other people. Isolation can be done inside a residential room or in a hospital room.
An isolation separates sick or potentially sick people with COVID19 from people who are not sick.
An isolation done in a residential abode separates sick or potentially sick people with COVID19 from family members or relatives or friends who are not sick.
An isolation done in a hospital room separates sick or potentially sick people with COVID19 from other patients who are not sick of COVID19.
In a residential abode, there may be people who are in home quarantine and who are in home isolation. Those people in home quarantine may be in self-home quarantine or forced-home quarantine.
In self-quarantine in an abode, there is no strict confinement inside a room in contrast to isolation in which there is a strict confinement inside a room.
Objectives of home quarantine under a community quarantine government rule are to prevent spread of COVID19 infection in the community; to observe for development of COVID19 infection in people residing in the home (which should then be reported to the government authorities); and to build and maintain host resistance to COVID19 infection among members living in the abode.
Objectives of home isolation for person in the abode are to prevent other people in the abode from getting infected if the person is infected or potentially infected; to recuperate if sick or potentially sick; to observe for development of symptoms of COVID19 infection if one is potentially sick and suspected to have COVID19 infection; and to build and maintain host resistance if one has no symptoms of COVID19 infection but potentially infected.
Community and Enhanced Community Quarantine
In the Philippines, two terms for quarantine were being used: general community quarantine and enhanced community quarantine.
Under general community quarantine, the movement of people is limited to accessing basic services and going to work where quarantine officers are present at border points.
Generally, under enhanced community quarantine, strict home quarantine is implemented in all households. This goes with transportation being suspended; provision for food and essential health services being regulated; and the presence of uniformed personnel to enforce quarantine procedures.
Social and Physical Distancing
Social distancing generally refers to various measures that reduce close contact (increase distance) between large groups of people (hence social). Social distancing involves remaining out of congregate settings, avoiding mass gatherings, and maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet or 2 meters) from others when possible. Congregate settings include “crowded public places where close contact with others may occur, such as shopping centers, movie theaters, stadiums.” Social distancing measures often entail canceling big gatherings (such as conferences, classes, and sporting events), restricting mass transit and travel, and working from home.
Physical distancing underscores the importance of keeping physical distance between people to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. The term additionally makes clear that people should still spend time with friends and family using digital technology and social media when they are physically separated.
ROJ@20apr4