Social Distancing: Flattening the Curve of Coronavirus
Health & Wellness
03/18/2020
Centene's top priority is to maintain the health and safety of our members, employees, and communities. As the status of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) evolves, we are closely monitoring its impact and regularly evaluating the best possible measures to keep each other safe. We recommend following the guidelines issued by local health authorities, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the World Health Organization.
A key component to these guidelines is social distancing, an effort to reduce the number of individuals in public places. Public schools are closing, concerts and conferences are being canceled or postponed, and many universities are moving to online class instruction.
The benefits of social distancing in situations such as the COVID-19 global pandemic include:
- Preventing sick people from making contact with healthy people
- Reducing opportunities for diseases to spread
- Slowing the outbreak to reduce infections among high-risk individuals
- Reducing the burden on healthcare systems
Even if you're not considered high-risk for infection, following the guidelines for social distancing significantly helps prevent the spread of infectious disease. Equally important, social distancing helps keep providers' offices and hospitals from being overloaded, allowing healthcare professionals to treat necessary cases safely and effectively.
Along with social distancing, be sure to practice simple common sense prevention techniques. Stay up to date on the latest COVID-19 news at www.cdc.gov.