Social distancing- a new way of life: But for how long?

April 16: A question that has started to bubble in public consciousness is: When do we go back to normal? When can we leave our homes and see friends and relatives again? It is indeed very difficult to answer this question at this juncture. Experts in the field have opined that the world will have to live with the phrase “Social distancing” in absence of a COVID-19 vaccine or other potential interventions.

A new study authored by five researchers from the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases and the Department of Epidemiology at Harvard’s School of Public Health, which was published on ScienceMag.org on Tuesday tries to look at the future of how COVID-19 will spread in the “postpandemic period,” and just how long we’ll need social distancing measures.

The various models implemented by the study present a range of possible outcomes, including a scenario where the outbreak completely ends in 2022, with some social distancing measures relaxed “by early-to-mid-2021.” A researcher said even if social distancing helps in flattening the curve, many people still remain susceptible to virus. An improved outlook will be largely dependent on “new therapeutics, vaccines, or other interventions such as contact tracing and quarantine.”