As coronavirus (also called COVID-19), a viral infection that can affect the airways and lungs, continues to spread, the government continue to announce new measures to hopefully curb the rapidly increasing numbers of those infected. The elderly and those with health conditions (that could make them especially vulnerable) have been advised to self-isolate in the UK, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson is urging everybody else (even those without symptoms) to adhere to the following new guidelines.
The new UK rules [as of 23 March] state that the public is now only allowed to leave their house under the following conditions, for the next three weeks (minimum):
- To shop for basic necessities (including food or medicine) as infrequently as possible.
- For one form of exercise a day (which can be a run, a walk or a bike ride).
- To seek medical help.
- To travel to and from work, but only when "absolutely necessary" - everyone else should be working from home.
The NHS recommends that people who are displaying symptoms, such as a fever or a new cough, should self-isolate for fourteen days (or longer, if their health worsens). They are also advising that anybody who lives with a person displaying those symptoms to do the same.
Doctors are advising that the elderly and those who have health conditions, which could lead to developing complications from coronavirus, don't receive any visits right now (even from people who appear to be fit and healthy). This section of society are being advised to self-isolate for (at least) 12 weeks.
At previous press conferences, both Christopher Whitty, Chief Medical Officer, and Boris Johnson's urged that people with no symptoms should practice social distancing. Both Whitty and Johnson mentioned avoiding all unnecessary travel and social contact where possible – places like pubs, clubs and theatres have also been closed until further notice. Schools are now only allowing vulnerable children and those with key workers to attend.
What's the difference between self-isolating and social distancing?
Self-isolating involves staying at home, with no going out at all, apart from to exercise while keeping a distance from others. Those who are self-isolating have even been told to avoid interacting with the people that they live with, whereas social distancing is less restrictive. For example, many people are now being asked to work from home, to prevent large groups of people gathering in an office – this would be classed as social distancing, rather than self-isolating.
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"The Government’s new coronavirus action plan recognises that as we start to see more cases in the UK, and more widespread community transmission of the virus, further measures to reduce the contact people have with each other may be needed," states recent advice listed on Public Health England's blog, Public Health Matters. "These measures, sometimes referred to as “social distancing”, could include things like temporarily reducing socialising in public places such as entertainment or sports events, reducing our use of non-essential public transport or recommending more home working." Many festivals (including Coachella) and large events, such as the London Marathon, have already been postponed.
Social distancing is thought to help protect the more vulnerable within society, as some people can be carriers of coronavirus without showing any (or any severe) symptoms, meaning they could spread the infection without realising.
Public Health England also states: "Action that would be considered could include population distancing strategies (such as school closures, encouraging greater home working, reducing the number of large scale gatherings) to slow the spread of the disease throughout the population, whilst ensuring the country’s ability to continue to run as normally as possible.
The UK governments' education departments' planning assumptions include the possibility of having to close educational settings in order to reduce the spread of infection.
People will naturally want to know if and when social distancing measures will start but it is not possible to confirm this right now."
The information in this story is accurate as of the publication date. While we are attempting to keep our content as up-to-date as possible, the situation surrounding the coronavirus pandemic continues to develop rapidly, so it's possible that some information and recommendations may have changed since publishing. For any concerns and latest advice, visit the World Health Organisation. If you're in the UK, the National Health Service can also provide useful information and support, while US users can contact the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
