The Negative Effects of Face-to-Face Contact on Health and Physical Health

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There's a spectrum. If we just insisted, which is almost what San Francisco is doing right now, but if we just insisted everyone just stay home, then we could in fact limit the propagation of the virus. On the other hand, there's negative effects to doing that, right? Both health and physical health and mental health. I mean, let me give you an example. So food delivery is supposed to be good, right? Because we're not all congregating together in a restaurant. But I've heard recommendations that ask the delivery person to just set down the food on your doorstep. Is that kind of just like going a little bit too far or is that actually completely prudent and

This is a special episode of Mindscape, thrown together quickly. Many thanks to Tara Smith for joining me on short notice. Tara is an epidemiologist, and a great person to talk to about the novel coronavirus (and its associated disease, COVID-19) pandemic currently threatening the world. We talk about what viruses are, how they spread, and a lot of the science behind virology and pandemics. We also take a practical turn, talking about what measures (washing hands, social distancing, self-isolation) are useful at combating the spread of the virus, and which (wearing masks) are probably not. Then we look to the future, to ask what the endgame here is; Tara suggests that the kind of drastic measure we are currently putting up with might last a long time indeed.

Tara Smith received her Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Toledo. She is currently Professor of Epidemiology at the Kent State University College of Public Health. She has researched and written extensively about diseases such as ebola and MRSA. She is an active science communicator, and writes regular columns for SELF magazine.

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