Commentary by, Dr. Wendy Warren, MD

Taking an objective look around Klamath County finds many citizens ignoring the advice to practice social distancing to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.

That’s disheartening to me and my other doctor colleagues. There are reports of young people forgoing the best medical advice and holding parties and other gatherings. Driving past a park I saw a group of six playing basketball. Shopping at the grocery I saw people crowding the aisles and standing close together at check out. This will keep the virus active and circulating throughout the community.

We have all been asked to:

Work from home instead of at the office, whenever possible
Close schools and switch to online classes
Visit loved ones by electronic devices instead of in person
Cancel or postpone conferences and large meetings
Maintain 6 feet of distance between us

We all have a duty to take these measures farther in our personal lives by:

Using standard hygiene and washing hands frequently
Not sharing things like towels and utensils
Staying at home
Not having visitors
Staying at least 6 feet away from other people in your household, whenever possible. Isolating anyone who may be ill from other people

Every household will need to have a member go out and replenish food and other staples, but staying home is a way to prevent the virus from overrunning the community. There is science behind social distancing.

The Signer Laboratory at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has created three social distancing models. In the first scenario, there is no social distancing in place. By day five of a person’s infection, they have infected another 2.5 people. By day 30, that infection has reached 406 people.

In the second scenario, social exposure is reduced by 50 percent. By day five the infection has reached 1.25 people, and in 30 days there are only 15 more people infected.

When social exposure is reduced by 75 percent, the five-day exposure is .625 people infected. The 30-day result is 2.5 people infected.

We know that most people will have no symptoms when they contract this virus. However, it will be life-threatening for a small percentage of people. Small actions, such as staying home and keeping others at a six-foot distance, can be a lifeline for the most vulnerable.

Think about your actions and be a role model for community-minded behaviors. We can get through this challenge sooner -- working together.

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The viewpoints expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the opinions, viewpoints, and official policies of Klamath Falls News.