Ava Lorenz

Project

Presentation

Progress Log

Capstone Essay

Ava Lorenz

Mr. Coussens

Honors English

April, Thursday 23

Sometime during late 2019, a virus that had previously existed only in bats infected humans and then raced around the globe. A tool that we are using to combat the spread viruses is called social distancing. Social distancing is a set of careful actions meant to prevent the further spread of contagious viruses and diseases. This is possible by limiting person-to-person contact, and staying isolated from others. My project is about my family’s experience while social distancing. I am interested in this project because it is a historic event that I get to experience as it is unfolding. I researched how social distancing has been used as a tool to control the spread of viruses in the past and how the spread of the current COVID-19 virus makes social distancing especially difficult. Although social distancing can play a crucial part in stopping the spread of viruses and diseases, its implementation is challenging due to how it spreads, and the willingness of the public.

How Social Distancing Works

Scientists have observed that many viruses, including COVID-19, are most commonly spread through person-to-person contact. ​One may catch the Coronavirus by touching a surface that an infected person has come in contact with, and then touching their eyes, nose, or mouth after touching the infected surface (“How Coronavirus Spreads”, 1). Some of the most common symptoms of this virus include a fever, tiredness and dry cough. However ​it is also possible for someone who does not show symptoms of the Coronavirus to be carrying it and spreading it to others (“How Coronavirus Spreads”, 1). Slowing down the spread of the virus will prevent many people from catching it at a given time, and this is possible by using social distancing.

Using social distancing will prevent a massive wave of newly infected people, which would overwhelm healthcare systems and hospital capacity. ​Social distancing will allow hospitals to have more time to prepare more resources and space for more patients (Roberts, 1). In the absence of social distancing, the numbers of people infected with COVID-19 will continue to increase, and the numbers will increase at an overwhelming rate, all in a short period of time. This will allow us to reach our peak number of cases sooner, but will also bring thousands of unnecessary deaths with it. This is because hospitals will not have enough space and resources to care for all the new patients coming in for treatment in a very short amount of time.

There have been many global pandemics before COVID-19, and during those pandemics people reacted very similarly to how we are reacting now. This includes social distancing (Poos, 1). Scientists are already working to find vaccines or medications to treat the virus, and social distancing is important to provide them time to discover these. Preventing more cases of COVID-19 will give them the time they need to discover treatment. ​In the current absence of vaccines or cures to COVID-19, experts say the best thing everyone can do is prevent themselves from catching or spreading the virus (“Why Social Distancing Might Last for Some Time”, 1). Social Distancing in the Past

Social distancing was indeed used successfully during past pandemics. It was used in Philadelphia and St. Louis in late 1918, during the influenza pandemic of that year. This quick action had soon decreased the death rate and number of people who caught the virus (Poos, 1). The 1918 influenza pandemic is still known as one of the most deadly and severe pandemics in recent history. It affected countries all over the globe, and infected over a third of the world's population. This virus brought at least 50 million deaths, and put an astonishing amount of people in the high risk category (History.com Editors, 1). People who were younger than five years of age, in their twenties through fourdies, and also everyone older than sixty-five years were included in this category. The fact that people during this 1918 pandemic reacted very similarly to how we are currently reacting to the COVID-19 pandemic, brings me hope that we will be as successful at dropping the number of cases and restoring our previous ways of life through social distancing.

Social distancing was also successfully used during various Ebola outbreaks. ​Ebola virus disease was discovered in 1976, in outbreaks in a few African countries almost simultaneously (“Ebola: Overview, History, Origins and Transmission”, 1). Since 1976, twenty-six outbreaks of the Ebola virus have occurred. Ebola was extremely deadly, much deadlier than COVID-19 now. Ebola killed up to fifty percent of those who got infected with it. However, because that virus mainly spread through bodily fluids such as blood, and sweat, or from being bit by an animal or bug, it was not as contagious as COVID-19 is now. Also, because symptoms of Ebola were so drastic, health officials were able to easily identify people who had already been exposed to people who already had the virus. These people were quickly isolated to prevent spreading it to others who had not yet been contaminated. Challenges of Social Distancing

Social distancing is being used as our main action in the current pandemic. Examples of ways we have already implemented this new guideline is that people are required to remain six feet away from others, and practice hand hygiene more regularly (“How Coronavirus Spreads”, 1). Schools, sports, and most nonessential activities have been cancelled to encourage staying home. It is also encouraged to stay out of any other public spaces, and away from friends and other people you do not live with (Gupta, 1). These laws have been strictly reinforced in many states in America by police officers and even punishments. Officers let people off with a verbal warning if they are caught violating social distancing rules. Common punishments for continuing to violate rules regarding social distancing besides verbal warnings are fines. Fines can range from $200 to up to $1000 depending on the scenario. Some people who have refused to participate in self isolation, even after verbal warnings and fines, have been put under house arrest during the time social distancing is required. These people are equipped with ankle monitors, and cannot leave their own property. There have even been a few cases where people have been arrested from disobeying policies (Orden, 1). This is strange considering jails are making an effort to lower the amount of people staying there.

COVID-19 comes with many difficult challenges, including that it is especially possible for someone who does not show symptoms of the Coronavirus to be carrying it and spreading it (“How Coronavirus Spreads”, 1). This is why, unlike a few pandemics in the past, we cannot simply isolate the people who are already sick or who have been exposed to the sick. It is impossible to know if someone has COVID-19 or not from their physical appearance alone, because they do not always show symptoms. Especially now, because Coronavirus testing kits are not readily available to the general public yet, it is very difficult to determine the exact number of people who are sick with the virus. This is why everyone must participate in social distancing, and not just a select group who all show symptoms. It can also take up to two weeks before an infected person shows symptoms, if they show any symptoms at all. This is why social distancing applies to everyone, not just people who appear sick. Anyone can be carrying and spreading the virus.

​In the past few weeks, nearly every school has closed and students are required to attend classes online as a replacement. Although it is good to continue school online, this also brings new obstacles. ​In-person courses are more effective than online courses, in most cases, considering that there are social pressures and benefits, and material is easier to engage with. Students who struggle during in-person classes are likely to struggle more with online classes, however this is not guaranteed if the student is able to pay close attention and focus on assignments (Loeb, 1). The productivity rates all depend on each individual student and their style of learning and working. Another obstacle of online learning is that not all students have access to the resources and technology to participate in online classes. This means that many students have learning advantages over others.

Travel and tourism industries are suffering because of the lack of people. The majority of people and companies worldwide have no choice but to work from their own homes, because COVID-19 makes it unsafe to continue working as usual. This may decrease productivity and/ or income for individuals (Stieg, 1). Although many people can work from home, lots of others have lost their jobs. Smaller businesses have closed, along with many different services, and countless more.

A lot of Americans do not want to give up anything, and feel now as if they lost their freedom. President Trump even encouraged smaller businesses and services to reopen, and encouraged people who protested against social distancing (Coppins, 1). Asian cultures tend to be more willing to accept social controls, allowing their number of COVID-19 cases to drop. “​We cannot let the cure be worse than the problem itself,” President Trump tweeted, not to mention in all caps (Coppins, 1). This is problematic considering that it is encouraging counterproductive behavior from many Americans.

The challenge of COVID-19 is summed up by a series of tweets made by President Trump on April 17th, 2020. Although new cases and deaths due to COVID-19 were on the rise, the president supported people protesting against state social distancing requirements by tweeting “LIBERATE MINNESOTA!”, “LIBERATE MICHIGAN!”, and “LIBERATE VIRGINIA!”. Applying social distancing to COVID-19 is different than to other viruses because of how it spreads. Because COVID-19 can spread asymptomatically, everybody has to participate in social distancing. I will apply what I learned to my project by showing how people who are not sick adjust to new routines, or resist them. This topic is significant because it affects virtually every person on the planet, from a young child, to the President of the United States, and will have profound and lasting impacts on human interaction.

Works Cited

Roberts, Siobhan. “Flattening the Coronavirus Curve.” ​The New York Times​, The New York Times, 27 Mar. 2020, ​www.nytimes.com/article/flatten-curve-coronavirus.htm. Accessed 2 Apr. 2020.

“How Coronavirus Spreads.” ​Centers for Disease Control and Prevention​, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2 Apr. 2020, www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/how-covid-spreads.html​. Accessed 3 Apr. 2020.

Loeb, Susanna. “How Effective Is Online Learning? What the Research Does and Doesn't Tell Us.”​EducationWeek,​ 31Mar.2020, www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2020/03/23/how-effective-is-online-learning-what-the.html​. Accessed 3 Apr. 2020.

Poos, Lawrence R. “Lessons from Past Pandemics: Disinformation, Scapegoating, and Social Distancing.”​Brookings, Brookings,​ 27Mar.2020, www.brookings.edu/blog/techtank/2020/03/16/lessons-from-past-pandemics-disinformation-scapegoating-and-social-distancing​. Accessed 7 Apr. 2020.

Gupta, Sujata. “Social Distancing Comes with Psychological Fallout.” ​Science News​, 31 Mar. 2020, www.sciencenews.org/article/coronavirus-covid-19-social-distancing-psychological-fallout​. Accessed 8 Apr. 2020.

“Why Social Distancing Might Last for Some Time.” ​BBC Future,​ BBC, 25 Mar. 2020, www.bbc.com/future/article/20200324-covid-19-how-social-distancing-can-beat-coronavirus​. Accessed 13 Apr. 2020.

Orden, Erica. “How Social Distancing Fines Are Working, or Not Working, across America.” CNN​, Cable News Network, 11 Apr. 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/04/11/politics/behind-social-distancing-fines/index.html​. Accessed 13 Apr. 2020.

Stieg, Cory. “Working from Home Actually Makes You Better at Some Tasks and Worse at Others-Here'sWhatYouNeedtoKnow.”​CNBC,​ CNBC, 12 Mar. 2020, www.cnbc.com/2020/03/12/study-how-working-from-home-boosts-and-hurts-productivity-creativity.html​. Accessed 13 Apr. 2020.

Coppins, McKay. “The Social-Distancing Culture War Has Begun.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 31 Mar. 2020, www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/03/social-distancing-culture/609019/. Accessed 13 Apr. 2020.

“Ebola: Overview, History, Origins and Transmission.” GOV. UK, www.gov.uk/government/publications/ebola-origins-reservoirs-transmission-and-guidelines/ebola-overview-history-origins-and-transmission. Accessed 13 Apr. 2020.

History.com Editors. “Spanish Flu.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 12 Oct. 2010, www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/1918-flu-pandemic. Accessed 13 Apr. 2020.