On a graph, a sudden surge in patients over a short time could be represented as a tall, narrow curve. On the other hand, if that same large number of patients arrived at the hospital at a slower rate, for example, over the course of several weeks, the line of the graph would look like a longer, flatter curve. In this situation, fewer patients would arrive at the hospital each day.
There would be a better chance of the hospital being able to keep up with adequate supplies, beds and health care providers to care for them. We are ready to safely care for you in our community practices, clinics, surgery centers and hospitals.
Learn about our additional steps to keep you safe and how you should prepare for your appointment. The coronavirus pandemic is making everyone aware of handwashing and protecting others from coughs and sneezes. Along with those essential steps, practices such as social and physical distancing, and self-quarantine and isolation when appropriate can slow the rate of infection in a city, town or community.
The pandemic can seem overwhelming, but in truth, every person can help slow down the spread of COVID By doing your part, you can make a big difference to your health, and that of others around you. What do they mean, and how might they apply to you, your family and your community? What is social distancing?
Infectious disease expert Lisa Maragakis explains how physical distancing can help prevent the spread of the coronavirus and offers tips to practice it correctly. What is physical distancing? But with key terms like quarantine, isolation, and social distancing, what does that exactly mean?
Our experts break down these three terms below to help take the guesswork out of your COVID action plan. In the U. Public health experts now say the most important goal is to slow the spread of the coronavirus so that the number of people who require medical attention doesn't overwhelm hospitals. If evidence holds true from countries further along in the outbreak, most people who contract this virus will have mild cases.
That means if tens of millions of Americans come down with COVID, potentially hundreds of thousands may need hospital care. No one wants that to happen.
That could stress our health system. It is critically important to slow the spread so that we can provide the best care possible for all. It is an effective way to protect the public. Governments use quarantines to stop the spread of contagious diseases. For anyone who has close contact with someone infected with the coronavirus, it is important that you listen to instructions from your health department.
Close contact is defined as being within approximately 6 feet of someone with COVID for a prolonged period of time. That includes if you are living with, visiting or sharing a healthcare waiting area or room with someone with COVID, or if you have been coughed or sneezed on by someone with the disease.
They will notify you if they think you have been exposed to a known case and provide you with instructions for next steps. If you are unsure if you qualify as having been in close contact, reach out to your local health department. While not all quarantines are the same, look to the CDC for how best to do your part. Currently, the CDC recommends:. Staying in isolation keeps infected people away from healthy people to prevent the sickness from spreading. Gordon explains the ins and outs of quarantine and other common terms connected with disease outbreaks.
Governments use quarantines to stop the spread of contagious diseases. It keeps infected people away from healthy people to prevent the sickness from spreading. According to the U. Constitution, yes. The federal government can use isolation and quarantine to protect people from contagious diseases. States also have the authority to institute isolations or quarantines. Breaking a quarantine has consequences that range from a fine to imprisonment.
But government-mandated quarantines are rare. You have to go all the way back to the infamous Spanish flu pandemic of for the last enforced, large-scale isolation and quarantine, according to the U. In response to suspected or confirmed coronavirus exposure, some have been asked to self-quarantine. Gordon says. That includes if you are living with, visiting or sharing a healthcare waiting area or room with someone with COVID
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