Areas that fail to social distance face 35 times more virus cases, study suggests

https://thehill.com/homenews/news/497990-areas-that-fail-to-social-distance-face-35-times-more-cases-study-says?fbclid=IwAR0GV8knO08nmL8BGQ9iVRherP_kJRkhHjk8080qpzMJ6v5mshO1IXFDrP4

By J. Edward Moreno - 05/15/20 01:09 PM EDT

Areas that don’t practice social distancing face up to 35 times more potential cases of COVID-19 per capita than those that do, according to a study published Thursday in the health care journal Health Affairs.

Researchers analyzed coronavirus cases in the U.S. from March 1 to April 27, saying their findings show “the potential danger of exponential spread in the absence of interventions.”

More than 90 percent of the country underwent some type of social distancing order since March, the study found, though not all policies were as effective, depending on how lax enforcement was and how long they lasted.

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Social distancing policies that lasted 16 to 20 days reduced the infection rate by more than 9 percent, the study showed. Cases were reduced by 5.4 percent within the first five days of the policies, and that percentage grew the more days — up to three weeks — that they were in effect.

Places with no social distancing orders were at a much higher risk for infection.

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