As the world faces a stressful time with the rise of the Coronavirus pandemic, the message for all of us is clear—stay at home to avoid the spread of the virus. But for 6.6 million people here in the U.S., social distancing is a luxury they simply cannot afford.Social distancing is a privilege. It means you live in a house good enough to practice it. Hand washing is a privilege too. It means you have access to clean running water. Hand sanitizers are a privilege. It means you have money to buy them. Lockdowns are a privilege. It means you can afford to be at home. All of us who are practicing social distancing and have imposed a lockdown on ourselves are very lucky to have the means because many people won’t be able to do this.

The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2). The outbreak was first identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 30 January 2020, and a pandemic on 11 March. As of 3 July 2020, more than 10.8 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported in more than 188 countries and territories, resulting in more than 521,000 deaths; more than 5.76 million people have recovered. The virus is primarily spread between people during close contact, most often via small droplets produced by coughing,sneezing, and talking. The droplets usually fall to the ground or onto surfaces rather than travelling through air over long distances. However, research as of June 2020 has shown that speech-generated droplets may remain airborne for tens of minutes. Less commonly, people may become infected by touching a contaminated surface and then touching their face. It is most contagious during the first three days after the onset of symptoms, although spread is possible before symptoms appear, and from people who do not show symptoms. Common symptoms include fever, cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, and loss of sense of smell. Complications may include pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome. The time from exposure to onset of symptoms is typically around five days but may range from two to fourteen days. There is no known vaccine or specific antiviral treatment. Primary treatment is symptomatic and supportive therapy.