Social distancing or physical distancing which term are we closed too?

By : Husna Hysham

As we’re living the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve been covering our mouths, washing our hands and practicing “social distancing.” But the conversation is shifting from “social distancing” towards “physical distancing”. 

Why this term change? It is because of the unseen impact of social distancing and isolation on our mental health and emotional wellbeing. Knowing the difference can help us improve our mental health during these unprecedented times.

The World Health Organization (WHO) would be the first one who has started using the phrase "physical distancing" instead of "social distancing" as a way to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus from people to people, a move widely welcomed by experts as a step in the "right direction".

At a daily news briefing on March 20, officials of the global health body said while maintaining a physical distance was "absolutely essential" amid the global pandemic, "it does not mean that socially we have to disconnect from our loved ones, from our family.

Furthermore, if we used the social distancing term, we are more likely refer to create a physical space between one another and avoiding large gatherings and it slightly close to isolation ourselves instead of communicate and deal with our friends via skype. 

In my opinion, as student who had experiencing these new norms. I would say the best term is physical distancing because of I still manage to attend my classes and communicate with my friend via skype or another social platform.