Social Distancing and Coronavirus
'Social distancing is a set of non-pharmaceutical infection control actions intended to stop or slow down the spread of a contagious disease' (Wikipedia). In less formal jargon, it means being consciously aware of safe personal space during times of illness, such as that presented by COVID-19.
In this era of dramatic natural events (fire, flood, disease) we are becoming increasingly aware that change is in the air (no pun intended). Along with societal change and adjustment comes the introduction of new words to help us communicate meaningfully . While "Social Distance" is not a new concept - it was coined in the 1890's and was further developed to become the "Bogardus Social Distance Scale" in 1925 - it is today being applied to behaviour that will assist to limit the spread of the coronavirus epidemic.
Likewise, the term "coronaviruses" (CoV) is a term that has been utilised since 1960. It refers to a large family of viruses that include the common cold. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), however, is a new strain brought to our attention when it began infecting human beings in 2019. COVID-19 is different from the common cold and its effects are more severe, hence it also has another name: "severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2" or "SARS-CoV-2".
COVID-19 appears to spread just the same way as a common cold. Social distancing can help to limit viral contamination. Information about this practice is provided by the federal Department of Health on its website - see https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2020/03/coronavirus-covid-19-information-on-social-distancing.pdf. We will be endeavouring to apply some of the practices recommended therein at our school.
The Symptoms of Coronavirus
The federal Department of Health has produced the following graphic to assist people to determine if they should seek medical assistance in circumstances where there is no known contact with an infected or likely affected person.
As for all matters pertaining to COVID-19, we strongly recommend you source your information from legitimate sources. If you have questions pertaining to precautionary practices being introduced at Riverside ESC, please do not hesitate to contact the Principal.