Social distancing is not only about preventing the illness itself, but rather, slowing the rate at which people get sick. NEW YORK - If the United States had implemented social distancing guidelines and other measures just one week earlier, tens of thousands of lives could have been saved in the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new model on the virus’s spread by Columbia University.
The first confirmed U.S. case of COVID-19 was reported at the end of January, but it wasn’t until mid-March that the White House urged all older Americans to stay home and everyone to avoid gathering in groups of 10 or more.
New York City’s public school system also announced it would close during that time. RELATED: CoronavirusNOW.com, FOX launches