From the past few weeks, we have been listening to and saying the heavy-duty terms like isolation, social distancing, self-quarantine, and lockdown. Most of which are quite new to the people and not knowing what it means may result in ignorance and may not take it very seriously.

As the cases of COVID-19 are rising, it’s time that we once again awaken you and help you all understand that what these terms mean and why is it so important to practice these concepts- the only way to stop the spread of Coronavirus.

Social Distancing

At this critical time, everyone should be practicing social-distancing, which means to avoid a physical encounter with other people to decrease the transmission risk. Refrain from forming or joining larger groups of people. Completely stop going to the movie theatre, concert, sports events, religious occasions, offices, mall and all sorts of non-essential social gatherings.

This doesn’t mean you have to sit at home all day; you could work from home, attend online classes, go to a grocery or go for a walk but with precautionary measures and must avoid interacting in groups or a sick person. So, this for the people who aren’t showing any symptoms of COVID-19 and have not been exposed to the virus.

Quarantine

Quarantine is for the people who have traveled from a foreign country and have been in close contact with a sick person; to put in simple term, people who have been exposed to the virus- these people should limit their time outside the home, avoid transit, and restrict all kinds of physical contact with others for 14 days to see if they are showing any symptoms of the virus. As Covid-19 symptoms take a while to appear, they need to make sure that is separated from others.

People who fall under this term should strictly stay at home and monitor the Covid-19 symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, shortness of breath or fever, daily.

Self- Isolation

Isolating oneself is advisable to those who have been tested positive for the virus. In this case, there should be no direct contact with your family members and one should isolate him/herself in a room. Their everyday necessity should be kept separately and must clean their surroundings on a regular basis. Their family members who are delivering supplies to them must take all the precautions to avoid getting the virus.

If the person of this group wants to go to a hospital, then they should inform public health and must avoid taking public transport.

Lockdown

A lockdown is intended when the cases of people being infected rise rapidly, to stop the movement of people. It is a government-imposed measure to slow down the flow of people. This means the Government could shut down theatres, restaurants, social event halls, railways & flight services, local and national borders. While you may find it uncomfortable with the disruption, these steps are extremely important for overall public health and following them is the only option for all of us to stay alive.

We hope the clarification must have cleared your confusion about what these terms mean and why is it very important to follow the health protocols introduced by the Government. In Jaipur there has been a complete Lockdown only essential services are open and a ban on all private vehicles on roads. We request you all to follow the rules and flatten the curve.

Let’s be responsible citizens and follow the safety measures.

Let’s together beat Corona Virus!