Effectiveness of social distancing, stay-at-home orders
PHILADELPHIA - State officials across the nation have mandated lengthy stay-at-home orders and have prioritized social distancing in an effort to squash the novel coronavirus.
Amid rising case numbers and death tolls, experts believe these unprecedented measures are the only way to flatten the curve.
Dr. Jen Caudle, a physician whose practice in Sewell, N.J. specializes in family medicine, joined Good Day Weekend to stress the importance of continuing to practice CDC recommendations in an effort to flatten the curve.
FULL COVERAGE: CORONAVIRUS
Dr. Caudle, like several medical experts, believes that the social distancing measures will work and have already begun to show positive trends, despite Saturday's historic death toll.
"We do know that it will and can, and some experts are saying, that it's already making a difference," Dr. Caudle said.
(Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Presently, 45 states in the United States have issued mandatory stay-at-home orders with varying tentative expiration dates. Dr. Caudle believes all 50 states should have social distancing measures in place.
"I think all states should have stay-at-home orders," Dr. Caudle said. "We know that social distancing is one of the most important things we can do."
While health experts have stressed the importance of social distancing for weeks, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] recently recommended that people should wear masks while in public.
Dr. Caudle agrees with this suggestion, but urged viewers not to be lulled into a false sense of security.
"Just because you're wearing a mask because you have to go out to the pharmacy or the grocery store doesn't mean that you don't have to social distance, it doesn't mean that you no longer have to wash your hands," Dr. Caudle said.
RELATED COVERAGE:
US hospitals brace for 'tremendous strain' from new virus
What Trump’s national emergency declaration means for COVID-19 pandemic
CDC’s ‘flatten the curve’ graphic shows why social distancing is necessary
How to spot the difference between the flu and coronavirus
Health experts suggest that wearing a mask can prevent COVID-19 from transferring from host to host through vulnerable access points like the nose and mouth. The eyes, however, are also a high-risk transmission site. Dr. Caudle says wearing glasses or eye protection is "reasonable" to be cognizant of protecting your entire face.
The best way to combat the coronavirus is to follow all of the social distancing and protective measures extended by state and federal officials, according to Dr. Caudle.
"We want to make sure that our hygiene is not just our hands, but it's extended to our whole being," Dr. Caudle said.
___
For the latest local news, sports and weather, download the FOX 29 News app.
DOWNLOAD: FOX 29 NEWS APP