The Masses Behind Social Distancing

This chart is a very important one to help keep us all safe: it's the difference between someone infecting 400 people next month and infecting basically no one. The figures are informed by the math behind social distancing. While everyone is studying the chart, let me use a true story to help people remember its significance, not on the math behind social distancing but ...

The Masses Behind Social Distancing

A friend of mine armed herself with the mathematics behind social distancing and went out to explain to co-workers what they must now do.

She began by noting that infection probabilities declined exponentially with physical separation. She quickly focused on the immediate work situation by saying how split-teams A and B, which normally must never meet, can still speak to each other provided they are separated by at least 2m, if the situation does indeed demand a meeting. Obviously, however, they should not meet unless the matter is absolutely crucial.

Dead silence.

She simplified: Just stay in Teams A and B, separate. But if you really, really must meet, keep away from each other by at least 2m.

Again, dead silence.

She tried again: Keep in your Team A or B. But if it's crucial that you talk to someone in the other team, please sit at least 2m apart.

Once more, dead silence...

Then from the back of the room: So... can meet or cannot meet?

PS I notice that in some representations of this chart, the writer has had to explain "This is for mathematical analysis only. It is impossible to infect only a fraction of a person."

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/the-math-behind-social-distancing/

https://www.statista.com/chart/21198/effect-of-social-distancing-signer-lab/