The term 'social distancing' appears to be more widespread than COVID-19. From Merriam-Webster:
Social distance has been in use since the early 19th century, initially with the meaning of “the degree of acceptance or rejection of social interaction between individuals and especially those belonging to different social groups (such as those based on race, ethnicity, class, or gender).”
Here indeed they possess an advantage which they have not with respect to men: they are less separated by social distance.
— Christian Observer (Boston, MA), May 1824
In modern use the term is more often encountered with the meaning of “the avoidance of close contact with other people during the outbreak of a contagious disease in order to minimize exposure and reduce the transmission of infection.” The practice of maintaining a greater than usual physical distance from other people is referred to as social distancing, in use since 2003; the verb is socially distance.
From the Associated Press:
No quote marks, no hyphen: The CDC is urging social distancing. The parents are taking social distancing precautions. Generally, social distancing involves measures to restrict when and where people can gather. The goal is to stop or slow the spread of infectious diseases. Measures can include limiting the number of people who can gather, staying 6 feet away from others, closing schools, asking people to work at home, canceling events, limiting or shutting down public transportation, etc.
No need to define if the meaning is clear from the context; the term has quickly become widely used and understood. If specific steps are a focus, spell out what those steps are.
It means that one increases distance socially and has nothing to do with trying to stay away from each other from fear of being infected with COVID-19.
We are not distancing ourselves from each other socially but physically.
Like every other imbecile on this planet, I started arguing on the internet:
This happened two days later:
Thank you.
