The 2m social distance ....

[bulletjournalbilly]

If the 2m social distance is effective .... why are people still catching Covid - 19?

[ToffeeYoghurt]

Some experts have suggested two metres isn't enough.

But separate from that, lots of people are still out and about. We didn't have a proper lockdown, not like the ones other countries had. Many here are still having to go out to work as it's not only essential keyworkers. The lockdown rules allow for any job that can't be done at home. Other countries stuck to essential workers only.

Then we have the people who are ignoring lockdown guidelines, not bothering with social distancing. There's also the incubation period which can sometimes be longer than two weeks.

We have fights arriving daily with no checks or quarantine.

A lot of other countries have the public wearing masks in public too. That can help limit the spread to some extent.

[Jenasaurus]

Also not everyone is adhering to the 2m social distancing rule.

[NameChange7383]

I believe they said on the daily update the other day that there is very little community infection now and people are getting it from care homes and hospitals.

[twinnywinny14]

Tbh in my local supermarket there is a lot less than 2m, a lot of people just right next to you almost close enough to feel them literally breathing down your neck so I wouldn’t be surprised if people are still catching it there!

[Gailforcewarning]

The 2m is based on research from the 30’s and 40’s. More recent research www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/coronavirus-found-in-air-samples-up-to-4-metres-from-patients-study seems to suggest 4m would be better and that shoes are a carrier source but WHO had downplayed it.

I haven’t read the original paper btw.

[ArriettyJones]

Fomites. (It’s on surfaces not just airborne.)

[Waxonwaxoff0]

Plenty of reasons.

It can live on surfaces. Not everyone is following the 2m rule.

But from what I understand there isn't much community transmission going on, the outbreaks are in hospitals and care homes.

[Eyewhisker]

2m has worked for the community cases. Most new infections are in hospitals and care homes where doctors and carers need to have physical contact with patients.

Even when people are infected, less than half of their household get infected, so although it’s contagious, even if you spend a lot of close time together it doesn’t mean you’ll get it. It is a bit of a puzzle

[BillywilliamV]

If there's no community infection why all the pant-wetting about the VE Day parties?

[Waxonwaxoff0]

@BillywilliamV because the social media police have nothing better to do.

[CarlottaValdez]

If there's no community infection why all the pant-wetting about the VE Day parties?

Because people are worried that will result in community infections. There’s low community infection because of the measures.

[GnomeDePlume]

2m is a bit of an arbitrary number. Essentially it was a distance greater than arm's reach.

[Inkpaperstars]

There is community infection, R is estimated at between 0.5 and 0.9, with a smaller range estimated in some locations.

[bulletjournalbilly]

As it lives on surfaces, allegedly shoes, people are not adhering.... what is the point of the 2m distance?

If we are also suggesting moving forward 2m distancing in cinema, theatre, restaurants, office space I can't see how they will financially be able to function.

[DaisylovesDonald]

The WHO recommendation is 1m and other countries are using less distance. I think Germany is 1.5m. I think ultimately it will have to brought down a bit once cases are under control, which I’m ok with as this is all about minimising risk not removing it entirely which is impossible.

[Qasd]

Our big outbreaks now are in hospitals and care home homes where social distancing is difficult and the latter in particular does not have ppe.

[Scarlettpixie]

Not everyone is sticking to the 2m rule
It lives on surfaces
People are not washing hands properly
People are not wearing ppe properly
There is not enough ppe
People become complacent when they have been doing something for a while.
People are mixing households - children moving between parents, people thinking the rules don’t apply to them
People need to care for the ill and vulnerable
People are going to work where it is not possible to be 2m apart at all times
People are travelling on public transport
Etc etc

[CloudsCanLookLikeSheep]

The 2m thing works until you go into an enclosed space like in a supermarket, then it becomes unmanageable (that's my experience at the local Aldi).

Also the virus can be airborne so if you have it, and are in a queue 2m apart from others, what is to stop it coming off you, staying in the space you were in and when someone steps into that space, infecting them?

[CloudsCanLookLikeSheep]

Even when people are infected, less than half of their household get infected, so although it’s contagious, even if you spend a lot of close time together it doesn’t mean you’ll get it. It is a bit of a puzzle

Is this that they are infected and asymptomatic, or not infected at all? Without proper testing it's hard to say.

[bulletjournalbilly]

@CloudsCanLookLikeSheep this is my point. I just can't see the point of it!

[BarbaraofSeville]

If not about eliminating it, it's about reducing the rate. Elimination is pretty much impossible and the measures required to achieve this too draconian, so they have to balance an 'acceptable' level of risk with the measures to achieve this that people can cope with and there aren't too many other negative effects (destruction of economy, mental health, etc).

[Enchantmentz]

It is more a cautionary measure and I suppose if you are 2m from someone with covid you are less likely to catch it than if you were rubbing shoulders with them in a queue. People are probably still catching it from supermarkets and unavoidable contact with other people also the avoidable but won't go there.

I went to my local lidl yesterday and there was someone manning the door controlling the amount of people going in at a time so it was quiet. But when I had finished shopping and went to queue the queue was the length of the the shop with people going down the ailes continuing their shopping. They can't man the door all the time due to limited staff so social distancing measures went out the window and the store filled up pretty quick.

[Thedogshow]

Care homes
Hospitals
Within homes and families where one person got it before lockdown and has infected other family members with a time delay on the official reporting of a case due to incubation period, progression of illness and delays in testing
Probably extremely few people catching it from strangers

[LilacTree1]

metro.co.uk/2020/04/25/two-metre-social-distancing-rule-conjured-nowhere-professor-claims-12609448/

There is no point to it.

[Thedogshow]

Yes exactly. Infections rates are very little to do with whether or not people are passing each other on an outdoor walkway at 1.5 m or 2.5 m for example. Almost no one will have caught coronavirus in this way.