RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – A new study conducted in Singapore, published in the scientific journal The Lancet, and released by Galileo magazine, endorses the theory that social distancing is an effective method in fighting the spread of the new coronavirus.
According to experts, quarantine measures such as the closure of schools and shops and the incentive to work from home have proved to be more effective in reducing Covid-19 cases – when implemented together.
“The findings of this study will provide public health policy makers in Singapore and other countries with evidence to begin implementing improved outbreak control measures that could mitigate or reduce local transmission rates if implemented effectively and in a timely manner,” said Alex Cook, a researcher at Singapore National University, in a press release.
The study
For the purpose of the research, the experts considered a baseline scenario, which did not include government interventions, and four additional alternatives:
1. isolation of infected individuals and quarantine of their relatives;
2. Quarantine and immediate closure of schools for at least two weeks;
3. Quarantine and immediate removal from the workplace, where 50 percent of the workforce is encouraged to work from home for at least two weeks;
4. The combination of quarantine, the prompt closure of schools and businesses and social distancing.
When compared to the baseline scenario, the combined measure (4) was the most effective, reducing the estimated average number of infections by up to 99.3 percent.
Doctors and health authorities further stress that social distancing has proved to be an extremely effective measure if we consider the thousands of asymptomatic cases, those in which infected individuals exhibit few or no symptoms of the Covid-19.