The coronavirus took the world by storm with confirmed cases, lockdowns and the closure of non-essential businesses increasing day by day. New York State surpassed 39,000 confirmed cases, 23,000 of which are within New York City. As of Friday, March 27, Gov. Andrew Cuomo urges that New Yorkers stay home to help curb the spread of the virus and Mayor Bill de Blasio stated in a City Hall press briefing that he suspects that 4 million, approximately 50%, of New Yorkers will test positive for the virus.
With the pandemic came anxiety, fear of the unknown and a plethora of new terminology that many still struggle to comprehend. As leaders continue to place stay home and shelter-in-place orders, including New York’s new Policies Assure Uniform Safety for Everyone (PAUSE) order, it’s important to understand what it all means so we can keep ourselves and one another safe and in good health.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “quarantine separates and restricts the movement of people who were exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become sick,” while isolation “separates sick people with a contagious disease from people who are not sick.”
In this particular instance, people in quarantine believe they may have been exposed to the virus and are taking the necessary measures to distance themselves from others as they wait to see if they develop symptoms. Those that are in isolation and are definitively showing symptoms are taking their temperature and isolating themselves entirely so they do not expose others to the virus.
The term quarantine has become increasingly popular among social media users that are documenting their time at home; however, it is more likely than not that they aren’t actually in quarantine, nor are they self-isolating. A large number of people that opt to use the term quarantine are actually practicing social distancing.
Social distancing is the act of taking small measures such as limiting large gatherings, canceling events, working from home and generally limiting the amount of time spent outside to help contain the virus and prevent it from spreading further. It is the result of shelter-in-place and stay home orders that ask individuals to do whatever they can manage to do from home, and to only leave the house for groceries, doctors’ appointments or to pick up a prescription.
Policies Assure Uniform Safety for Everyone (PAUSE), the executive order signed by Gov. Cuomo, is simply a polite way of saying the city is on lockdown. PAUSE encompasses all the measures that are expected to be taken with shelter-in-place orders. It additionally requires that all non-essential work be done from home, that any persons over the age of 70 remain home except for solitary exercise, that all gatherings regardless of number or location be postponed and that individuals that leave the house remain six feet away from others.
The coronavirus, as cliche as it sounds, doesn’t discriminate, so everyone regardless of their age and immunity should practice social distancing. By staying home and taking every measure necessary to keep oneself from being exposed to the virus, we can return to a sense of normalcy (or as close as we can get) sooner.
Drashti Mehta is a junior journalism major with minors in political science and public relations. She is a resident of New York City, has been practicing social distancing and can be found on Twitter @drashmehta.
