Galea said that the epidemic is “sweeping” the world, adding, “We are moving as a society towards limiting our physical interactions in order to mitigate the viral spread so that we do not overwhelm our health system, which is not designed to take a large influx of new cases.”
He also wanted to highlight a possible tweak in language to encourage more connectivity in a difficult time:
“I would argue that what we are doing right now is physical distancing, not social distancing,” said Galea, “We are creating physical distance between us to limit the spread of the virus. But we should be doing that in the same breath as we are maintaining our social connections and sense of community and common sense of purpose.