"Social distancing" can feel isolating. Here are some tips to stay social while also protecting your community's vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 outbreak...
Call Grandma.
Or anyone else you have been meaning to talk to for a while. Re-establish that connection with a loved one while you're trapped at home anyway.
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Play video games online with people you actually know.
It's easy to forget the people you're playing with are real people -- but put on a headset and play with people you know IRL and it's as though they're in your living room with you.
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Get takeout.
Social distancing doesn't necessarily mean missing out on your favorite comfort foods. Order takeout. Restaurant owners will thank you for your business, and you'll get a tasty meal -- just remember to wash your hands before and after you pick it up.
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Try a group video call with your friends or video conference with your colleagues.
Remind everyone involved that there are real people on the other side -- and be able to see each others' funny faces.
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Listen to a new podcast or find an interesting YouTube channel to follow.
You may not know these people in real life, but podcasts and interesting YouTube channels feel more intimate and enriching than traditional programming.
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Join your local Nextdoor group.
It can be informative ... and highly entertaining. Plus, it's all happening right in your own neighborhood.
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Make use of your Slackmojis when talking to your colleagues.
It helps remind them there are people on the other end of the keyboard.
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Don't forget Fido.
Wash your hands, then take your dog for a walk or play with them in the backyard. Help keep you and your pooch from getting stir crazy -- just remember to keep your distance if you encounter another dog-walker outside, though a friendly wave and greeting could help remind you there are others out there.
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10 things to know about the Coronvirus (COVID-19)
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Q: What is coronavirus (COVID-19)?
A: The viral respiratory illness spreading rapidly in China is a new kind of coronavirus that scientists have never observed in humans before. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some of which cause the common cold. Others have evolved into more severe illnesses, such as SARS and MERS, although so far the new virus does not appear to be nearly as deadly or contagious.
Elizabeth Fischer / Courtesy NiAID
Q: What are the symptoms?
A: The virus can cause fever, coughing, wheezing and pneumonia. The incubation period is thought to be two weeks. But it's also a heavy flu season, and some of the symptoms are similar.
Anmar Khalil/Associated Press
Q: What is the source of COVID-19?
A: Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses. Some cause illness in people, and others, such as canine and feline coronaviruses, only infect animals. Rarely, animal coronaviruses that infect animals have emerged to infect people and can spread between people. This is suspected to have occurred for the virus that causes COVID-19. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) are two other examples of coronaviruses that originated from animals and then spread to people.
Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images
Q: How does the virus causing Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19), spread?
A: This virus was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. The first infections were linked to a live animal market, but the virus is now spreading from person-to-person. It’s important to note that person-to-person spread can happen on a continuum. Some viruses are highly contagious (like measles), while other viruses are less so. Currently, it’s unclear how easily or sustainably this virus is spreading between people.
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Q: Can someone who has had COVID-19 spread the illness to others?
A: The virus that causes COVID-19 is spreading from person-to-person. Someone who is actively sick with COVID-19 can spread the illness to others. That is why CDC recommends that these patients be isolated either in the hospital or at home (depending on how sick they are) until they are better and no longer pose a risk of infecting others.
Courtesy of Kathy Wright / Mallory Moench
Q: What are the symptoms and complications that COVID-19 can cause?
A: Current symptoms reported for patients with COVID-19 have included mild to severe respiratory illness with fever, cough, and difficulty breathing.
Gulden Kunter Tikiroglu/Fotolia
Q: How can I stay safe?
A: It's always smart to practice precautions that protect you from catching a cold. Wash your hands frequently, especially after touching highly used surfaces such as handrails and doorknobs.
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Q: Does CDC recommend the use of facemask in the community to prevent COVID-19?
A: CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. You should only wear a mask if a healthcare professional recommends it. A facemask should be used by people who have COVID-19 and are showing symptoms. This is to protect others from the risk of getting infected.
Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images
Q: Should I be tested for COVID-19?
A: If you develop a fever and symptoms of respiratory illness, such as cough or shortness of breath, within 14 days after travel from China, you should call ahead to a healthcare professional and mention your recent travel or close contact. If you have had close contact with someone showing these symptoms who has recently traveled from this area, you should call ahead to a healthcare professional and mention your close contact and their recent travel. Your healthcare professional will work with your state’s public health department and CDC to determine if you need to be tested for COVID-19.
Mark Mulligan/Staff photographer
Q: Is the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 the same as the MERS-CoV or the SARS-CoV virus?
A: No. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses. Some coronaviruses cause cold-like illnesses in people. Others cause illness in certain types of animals, such as cattle, camels and bats. Rarely, animal coronaviruses can spread to people. This happened with SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. The virus that causes COVID-19 likely also originated in an animal and spread to humans. The coronavirus most similar to the virus causing COVID-19 is SARS-CoV. There are ongoing investigations to learn more.
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A Chinese couple wear plastic coats and protective masks as they shop for groceries at a supermarket on February 11, 2020 in Beijing, China. The number of cases of a deadly new coronavirus rose to more than 42000 in mainland China Tuesday, days after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a global public health emergency.
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FILE - In this Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020 file photo, travelers wearing protective masks arrive at the Ben Gurion Airport, near Tel Aviv, Israel. A steep drop in business travel could be a gut punch to a tourism industry already reeling from the coronavirus outbreak, as big companies like Amazon try to keep employees healthy by banning trips. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit, File)
Ariel Schalit/Associated Press
Saudi policemen guard the the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque, in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Friday, March 6, 2020. Saudi Arabia emptied Islam's holiest site for what they say sterilization over fears of coronavirus. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
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An Indian lift operator stands inside a dedicated lift for people suspected to be infected with the new corona virus at the Government Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad, India, Monday, March 2, 2020. Coronavirus has spread to more than 60 countries, and more than 3,000 people have died from the COVID-19 illness it causes. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
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In this Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, photo, medial workers wearing protective gears move a patient suspected of contracting the new coronavirus from an ambulance to the Kyungpook National University Hospital in Daegu, South Korea. The mayor of the South Korean city of Daegu urged its 2.5 million people on Thursday, Feb. 20, to refrain from going outside as cases of a new virus spike. (Kim Jong-un/Yonhap via AP)
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Vice President Mike Pence bumps elbows with Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, left, during a news conference, Thursday, March 5, 2020, at Camp Murray in Washington state. Pence was in Washington to discuss the state's efforts to fight the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, and officials have been avoiding shaking hands to prevent the spread of germs. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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President Donald Trump, left, listens to Vice President Mike Pence, right, as he pauses while speaking to members of the media to address the nation about the coronavirus threat in the Brady Press Briefing room of the White House in Washington, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
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A gondolier looks at his smartphone as he waits for clients in Venice, Italy, Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. With the coronavirus emergency deepening in Europe, the region's weakest major economy, Italy, is taking the biggest hit as foreigners stop visiting its cultural treasures or buying its prized artisanal products, from fashion to food to design. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Francisco Seco/Associated Press
Tourists pull their luggage as they walk through a nearly empty St. Mark's Square on a rainy day in Venice, Monday, March 2, 2020. The coronavirus outbreak in northern Italy has so overwhelmed the public health system that officials are taking extraordinary measures to care for the sick, seeking to bring doctors out of retirement and accelerate graduation dates for nursing students. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Francisco Seco/Associated Press
Workers wearing protective suits spray disinfectant as a precaution against the coronavirus at a bus garage in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020. The number of new virus infections in South Korea jumped again Wednesday and the U.S. military reported its first case among its soldiers based in the Asian country, with his case and many others connected to a southeastern city with an illness cluster. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Ahn Young-joon/Associated Press
Firefighters disinfect a traditional shopping center to help prevent the spread of the new coronavirus in northern Tehran, Iran, Friday, March, 6, 2020. A Health Ministry spokesman warned authorities could use unspecified âforceâ to halt travel between major cities.(AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Ebrahim Noroozi/Associated Press
Workers wearing protective gears spray disinfectant inside a plane for New York as a precaution against the new coronavirus at Incheon International Airport in Incheon, South Korea, Wednesday, March 4, 2020. The coronavirus epidemic shifted increasingly westward toward the Middle East, Europe and the United States on Tuesday, with governments taking emergency steps to ease shortages of masks and other supplies for front-line doctors and nurses. (Suh Myoung-geon/Yonhap via AP)
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A Metropolitan Transportation Authority worker sanitizes surfaces at the Coney Island Yard, Tuesday, March 3, 2020, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. The MTA is stepping up efforts to sanitize cars and stations as fears mount over the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Kevin Hagen)
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Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, right, bumps elbows with a worker at the seafood counter of the Uwajimaya Asian Food and Gift Market, Tuesday, March 3, 2020, in Seattle's International District. Inslee said he's doing the elbow bump with people instead of shaking hands to prevent the spread of germs, and that his visit to the store was to encourage people to keep patronizing businesses during the COVID-19 Coronavirus outbreak. Earlier in the day, following a tour at a health clinic, Inslee urged people to wash hands frequently and practice other measures of health hygiene, and to stay home from work and public events if they don't feel well or have any symptoms of illness. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Ted S. Warren/Associated Press
In this photo provided by Michele Smith, a National Guard helicopter delivering virus testing kits hovers above the Grand Princess cruise ship Thursday, March 5, 2020, off the California coast. Scrambling to keep the coronavirus at bay, officials ordered a cruise ship with about 3,500 people aboard to hold off the California coast Thursday until passengers and crew could be tested, after a traveler from its previous voyage died and at least one other became infected. Princess Cruises says fewer than 100 of those aboard have been identified for testing. (Michele Smith via AP)
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In this photo provided by Michele Smith, a cruise ship worker cleans a railing on the Grand Princess Thursday, March 5, 2020, off the California coast. Scrambling to keep the coronavirus at bay, officials ordered a cruise ship with about 3,500 people aboard to stay back from the California coast Thursday until passengers and crew can be tested, after a traveler from its previous voyage died of the disease and at least two others became infected. A National Guard helicopter lowered test kits onto the 951-foot (290-meter) Grand Princess by rope as the vessel lay at anchor off Northern California, and authorities said the results would be available on Friday. Princess Cruise Lines said fewer than 100 people aboard had been identified for testing. (Michele Smith via AP)
Michele Smith/Associated Press
Medical staff wearing protective suits check documents as they wait for people with suspected symptoms of the new coronavirus, at a testing facility in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, March 4, 2020. The coronavirus epidemic shifted increasingly westward toward the Middle East, Europe and the United States on Tuesday, with governments taking emergency steps to ease shortages of masks and other supplies for front-line doctors and nurses. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Ahn Young-joon/Associated Press
Army soldiers wearing protective suits spray disinfectant as a precaution against the new coronavirus at a shopping street in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, March 4, 2020. The coronavirus epidemic shifted increasingly westward toward the Middle East, Europe and the United States on Tuesday, with governments taking emergency steps to ease shortages of masks and other supplies for front-line doctors and nurses. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Ahn Young-joon/Associated Press
Hundreds of people line up to buy face masks to protect themselves from the coronavirus in front of a department store in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, March 3, 2020. China's coronavirus caseload continued to wane Tuesday even as the epidemic took a firmer hold beyond Asia, with three countries now exceeding 1,000 cases and the U.S. reporting its sixth death. (Hong Hae-in/Yonhap via AP)
Hong Hae-in/Associated Press
People wearing face masks walk along a stream in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020. The coronavirus outbreak's impact on the world economy grew more alarming on Saturday, even as President Donald Trump denounced criticisms of his response to the threat as a "hoax" cooked up by his political enemies. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
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Army soldiers wearing protective suits spray disinfectant to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus at the Dongdaegu train station in Daegu, South Korea, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020. (Kim Hyun-tai/Yonhap via AP)
Kim Hyun-tai/Associated Press
In this Feb. 27, 2020, photo, visitors with suspected symptoms of the new coronavirus, inside of a car, bottom right, get virus test by members of medical team as others queue in their cars at a "drive-through" test facility at Yeungnam University Medical Center in Daegu, South Korea. (Kim Hyun-tai/Yonhap via AP)
Kim Hyun-tai/Associated Press
A firefighter disinfects the shrine of Saint Saleh to help prevent the spread of the new coronavirus in northern Tehran, Iran, Friday, March, 6, 2020. A Health Ministry spokesman warned authorities could use unspecified âforceâ to halt travel between major cities. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Ebrahim Noroozi/Associated Press
Medical staff wearing protective suits outside a hospital in Daegu, South Korea, Sunday, March 1, 2020. The coronavirus has claimed its first victim in the United States as the number of cases shot up in Iran, Italy and South Korea and the spreading outbreak shook the global economy. (Kim Hyun-tae/Yonhap via AP)
Kim Hyun-tae/Associated Press
A worker cleans his goggles to spray disinfectant as a precaution against the coronavirus at a shopping street in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020. South Korea and China each reported hundreds more virus cases Thursday as the new illness persists in the worst-hit areas and spreads beyond borders. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Ahn Young-joon/Associated Press
Tomoyuki Sugano of the Yomiuri Giants pitches with a backdrop of empty stands during play in a preseason baseball game between the Yomiuri Giants and the Yakult Swallows at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020. Japan's professional baseball league said Thursday it will play its 72 remaining preseason games in empty stadiums because of the threat of the spreading coronavirus. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Eugene Hoshiko/Associated Press
Workers wearing protective gears spray disinfectant as a precaution against the new coronavirus at a subway station in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. Japan's schools prepared to close for almost a month and entertainers, topped by K-pop superstars BTS, canceled events as a virus epidemic extended its spread through Asia into Europe and on Friday, into sub-Saharan Africa. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Ahn Young-joon/Associated Press
A worker wearing a face mask sprays disinfectant as a precaution against the new coronavirus at Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020. The number of new virus infections in South Korea jumped again Wednesday and the U.S. military reported its first case among its soldiers based in the Asian country, with his case and many others connected to a southeastern city with an illness cluster. (Lee Ji-eun/Yonhap via AP)
Lee Ji-eun/Associated Press
Workers wearing protective gears spray disinfectant as a precaution against the new coronavirus at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020. China and South Korea on Tuesday reported more cases of a new viral illness that has been concentrated in North Asia but is causing global worry as clusters grow in the Middle East and Europe. (Jin Yeon-soo/Yonhap via AP)
Jin Yeon-soo/Associated Press
People stand at their balconies at the H10 Costa Adeje Palace hotel in Tenerife, Canary Island, Spain, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020. Spanish officials say a tourist hotel on the Canary Islands has been placed in quarantine after an Italian doctor staying there tested positive for the new coronavirus. (AP Photo)
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A worker wearing protective gears sprays disinfectant as a precaution on a train against the new coronavirus at Suseo Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020. China and South Korea on Tuesday reported more cases of a new viral illness that has been concentrated in North Asia but is causing global worry as clusters grow in the Middle East and Europe. (Lee Ji-eun/Yonhap via AP)
Lee Ji-eun/Associated Press
In this Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020 photo, a customer eats a bowl of soup at a deserted food court in the Koreatown section of Los Angeles. Fears of the coronavirus combined with the speed and reach of social media can quickly cripple the healthiest of businesses. That's what happened to several Korean restaurants in Los Angeles. Their business was hit hard by false rumors spread on social media that a Korean Air flight attendant with coronavirus dined there last week. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
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Part of a group representing Koreatown restaurants sit and listen to community leaders voice their concerns during a news conference at Hanshin Poca restaurant in the Koreatown section of Los Angeles on Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. Fears of the coronavirus combined with the speed and reach of social media can quickly cripple the healthiest of businesses. That's what happened to several Korean restaurants in Los Angeles. Their business was hit hard by false rumors spread on social media that a Korean Air flight attendant with coronavirus dined there last week. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
Richard Vogel/Associated Press
A firefighter disinfects a mosque to help prevent the spread of the new coronavirus in northern Tehran, Iran, Friday, March, 6, 2020. A Health Ministry spokesman warned authorities could use unspecified âforceâ to halt travel between major cities. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Ebrahim Noroozi/Associated Press
In this Monday, Feb. 24, 2020 photo, Shiite pilgrims wear masks outside the shrine of Imam Ali in Najaf, Iraq. The Health Ministry said four new cases of coronavirus were diagnosed in the northern province of Kirkuk. It said the afflicted were members of an Iraqi family who had returned from a recent trip to Iran. Iraq announced the discovery of the first coronavirus case in the country on Monday in Najaf. Iraq had earlier closed its border with Iran to Iranian nationals but apparently Iraqis can still cross the boundary. (AP Photo/Anmar Khalil)
Anmar Khalil/Associated Press
Pedestrians wearing face masks cross a square in western Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020. Iran is preparing for the possibility of "tens of thousands" of people getting tested for the new coronavirus as the number of confirmed cases spiked again Saturday, Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said, underscoring the fear both at home and abroad over the outbreak in the Islamic Republic. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Vahid Salemi/Associated Press
Pedestrians cross a street as one of them prepares his face mask in western Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020. Iran is preparing for the possibility of "tens of thousands" of people getting tested for the new coronavirus as the number of confirmed cases spiked again Saturday, Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said, underscoring the fear both at home and abroad over the outbreak in the Islamic Republic. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Vahid Salemi/Associated Press
Woman, wearing face masks, travel on a public bus in a street in western Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020. Iran is preparing for the possibility of "tens of thousands" of people getting tested for the new coronavirus as the number of confirmed cases spiked again Saturday, Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said, underscoring the fear both at home and abroad over the outbreak in the Islamic Republic. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Vahid Salemi/Associated Press
Commuters wearing masks sit on a train in Tokyo, Monday, March 2, 2020. Coronavirus has spread to more than 60 countries, and more than 3,000 people have died from the COVID-19 illness it causes. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
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Commuters wearing masks stand in a packed train at the Shinagawa Station in Tokyo, Monday, March 2, 2020. Coronavirus has spread to more than 60 countries, and more than 3,000 people have died from the COVID-19 illness it causes. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
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A man with a mask walk through torii gates at the Hie Shrine In Tokyo, Sunday, March 1, 2020. The coronavirus has claimed its first victim in the United States as the number of cases shot up in Iran, Italy and South Korea and the spreading outbreak shook the global economy. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
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People with masks visit a cherry blossom festival in Matsuda, Kanagawa prefecture, south of Tokyo, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020. The coronavirus outbreak began to look more like a worldwide economic crisis as anxiety about the infection emptied shops and amusement parks, canceled events, cut trade and travel and dragged already slumping financial markets even lower. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
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A man wearing face mask walks at the Yaba Mainland hospital where an Italian citizen who entered Nigeria on Tuesday from Milan on a business trip, the first case of the COVID-19 virus is being treated in Lagos Nigeria Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. Nigeria's health authorities have reported the country's first case of a new coronavirus in Lagos, the first confirmed appearance of the disease in sub-Saharan Africa. (AP Photo/ Sunday Alamba)
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A man wearing a mask walks in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Friday, March 6, 2020. A Vatican spokesman has confirmed the first case of coronavirus at the city-state. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said Friday that non-emergency medical services at the Vatican have been closed so they can be sanitized following the positive test on Thursday. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
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A view of St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Friday, March 6, 2020. A Vatican spokesman has confirmed the first case of coronavirus at the city-state. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said Friday that non-emergency medical services at the Vatican have been closed so they can be sanitized following the positive test on Thursday. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
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Workers clean the windows in one of the entrances at the Mobile World Congress 2020 venue in Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020. Intel Mobile is the latest company announcing that is pulling out of the Mobile World Congress scheduled to be held in Barcelona in late February. Authorities still seem to be committed to hold it, meeting foreign diplomats on Tuesday to brief on the efforts to prevent any spread of the new coronavirus virus during the industry show. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Emilio Morenatti/Associated Press
Worshippers wear face masks to protect against the spread of the coronavirus as they pray at the famous Hsing Tian Kong Temple in Taipei, Taiwan, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)
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Spanish police officers patrol outside the H10 Costa Adeje Palace hotel in Tenerife, Canary Island, Spain, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020. Spanish officials say a tourist hotel on the Canary Islands has been placed in quarantine after an Italian doctor staying there tested positive for the new coronavirus. (AP Photo)
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Workers wearing protective gears spray disinfectant as a precaution against a new coronavirus at a theater in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020. Ten more people were sickened with a new virus aboard one of two quarantined cruise ships with some 5,400 passengers and crew aboard, health officials in Japan said Thursday, as China reported 73 more deaths and the World Health Organization appealed for more funds to help countries battle the spread of the disease. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Ahn Young-joon/Associated Press
A worker in protective gear stacks plastic buckets containing medical waste from coronavirus patients at a medical center in Daegu, South Korea, Monday, Feb. 24, 2020. South Korea reported another large jump in new virus cases Monday a day after the the president called for "unprecedented, powerful" steps to combat the outbreak that is increasingly confounding attempts to stop the spread. (Lee Moo-ryul/Newsis via AP)
Lee Moo-ryul/Associated Press
Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Organizing staffs climb the wall in the test event of Speed Climbing in preparation for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Aomi Urban Sports Park Friday, March 6, 2020, in Tokyo. The recent outbreak of the coronavirus has forced them to cancel or postpone several. But they allowed a sport climbing event on Friday to go ahead, with a few restrictions: like the absence of elite athletes. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Eugene Hoshiko/Associated Press
Ambulances carrying patients infected with the novel coronavirus arrive at a hospital in Daegu, South Korea, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2020. South Korea's president has put the country on its highest alert for infectious diseases and says officials should take "unprecedented, powerful" steps to fight a viral outbreak.(Lim Hwa-young/Yonhap via AP)
Lim Hwa-young/Associated Press
A street vendor wears a mask over his mouth as a precaution against the spread of the new coronavirus in Mexico City, Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. Mexico's assistant health secretary announced Friday that the country now has confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
Fernando Llano/Associated Press
Tourists pull their trolleys as they walk through a nearly empty St. Mark's Square on a rainy day in Venice, Monday, March 2, 2020. The coronavirus outbreak in northern Italy has so overwhelmed the public health system that officials are taking extraordinary measures to care for the sick, seeking to bring doctors out of retirement and accelerate graduation dates for nursing students. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Francisco Seco/Associated Press
A man sits on a bench on a promenade next to the lagoon of Venice, Italy, Tuesday, March 3, 2020. G-7 countries say they are ready to take action to cushion the economic impacts of the new coronavirus outbreak, a statement that comes after a few days of wild market swings. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Francisco Seco/Associated Press
Spectator stands are empty during play in a preseason baseball game between the Yomiuri Giants and the Yakult Swallows at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020. Japan's professional baseball league said Thursday it will play its 72 remaining preseason games in empty stadiums because of the threat of the spreading coronavirus. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Eugene Hoshiko/Associated Press
A gondolier looks at his smartphone as he waits for clients in Venice, Italy, Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. Authorities in Italy decided to re-open schools and museums in some of the areas less hard-hit by the coronavirus outbreak in the country which has the most cases outside of Asia, as Italians on Friday yearned for a return to normal life even amid fears that the outbreak could plunge the country's economy into recession. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Francisco Seco/Associated Press
Tourists wearing protective masks pose for a photograph at the Rialto bridge as the sun sets in Venice, Italy, Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. Authorities in Italy decided to re-open schools and museums in some of the areas less hard-hit by the coronavirus outbreak in the country which has the most cases outside of Asia, as Italians on Friday yearned for a return to normal life even amid fears that the outbreak could plunge the country's economy into recession. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Francisco Seco/Associated Press
A man looks at Raphael's oil on wood panel, Madonna con il Bambino (Virgin with the Child), in Rome, Wednesday, March 4, 2020. The paintings, drawings and sketches in the most ambitious assemblage ever of Raphael works in an exhibition, more than even the Renaissance superstar had in his workshop at one time, are collectively insured for 4 billion euros ($.4 billion), against the likes of theft or vandalism. But no money can guarantee that Italyâs outbreak of coronavirus, the largest in Europe, wonât play havoc with the three-month run in Rome of the art worldâs eagerly-awaited blockbuster. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Andrew Medichini/Associated Press
Tourists eat a meal on an almost empty restaurant terrace in Venice, Italy, Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. Authorities in Italy decided to re-open schools and museums in some of the areas less hard-hit by the coronavirus outbreak in the country which has the most cases outside of Asia, as Italians on Friday yearned for a return to normal life even amid fears that the outbreak could plunge the country's economy into recession. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Francisco Seco/Associated Press
Tourists wearing sanitary masks move a few steps of dance, in downtown Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2020. In Lombardy, the hardest-hit region with 90 cases Coronavirus infections, schools and universities were ordered to stay closed in the coming days, and sporting events were canceled. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
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A paramedic wearing a mask gets out of a tent set up by the Italian Civil Protection outside the emergency ward of the Piacenza hospital, northern Italy, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020. Italy is changing how it reports coronavirus cases and who will get tested in ways that could lower the country's caseload even as an outbreak centered in northern Italy spreads in Europe. (Claudio Furlan/Lapresse via AP)
Claudio Furlan/Associated Press
People sit a recommended distance apart from each other during the presentation of the new FIAT 500 electric n Milan, Italy, Wednesday, March 4, 2020. Countries are taking drastic and increasingly visible measures to curb the new coronavirus that first emerged in China and was spreading quickly through Europe, the Mideast and the Americas. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
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A commuter looks through a water-stained window wearing a mask and gloves to help guard against the Coronavirus, on a public bus in downtown Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2020. Iran's health ministry raised Sunday the death toll from the new virus to 8 people in the country, amid concerns that clusters there, as well as in Italy and South Korea, could signal a serious new stage in its global spread. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Ebrahim Noroozi/Associated Press
Workers disinfect subway trains against coronavirus in Tehran, Iran, in the early morning of Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020. Iran's government said Tuesday that more than a dozen people had died nationwide from the new coronavirus, rejecting claims of a much higher death toll of 50 by a lawmaker from the city of Qom that has been at the epicenter of the virus in the country. (Sajjad Safari/IIPA via AP)
Sajjad Safari/Associated Press
Electoral officials count ballots cast by Israelis under home quarantine after returning from Coronavirus infected zones in the city of Shoham, Israel, Wednesday, March 4, 2020. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)
Tsafrir Abayov/Associated Press
An Indian students wears a self-made mask and listens to a teacher at a government school in Hyderabad, India, Wednesday, March 4, 2020. A new virus first detected in China has infected more than 90,000 people globally and caused over 3,100 deaths. The World Health Organization has named the illness COVID-19, referring to its origin late last year and the coronavirus that causes it. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
Mahesh Kumar A/Associated Press
A health official scans the body temperature of a passenger as she arrives at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Indonesia, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. Indonesia is screening travelers from overseas for a new type of coronavirus as fears spread about a mysterious infectious disease after its first death reported in China. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
Tatan Syuflana/Associated Press
An Indian wears a mask and walks on a street in Hyderabad, India, Thursday, March 5, 2020. A new virus first detected in China has infected more than 90,000 people globally and caused over 3,100 deaths. The World Health Organization has named the illness COVID-19, referring to its origin late last year and the coronavirus that causes it. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
Mahesh Kumar A/Associated Press
In this Monday, Feb. 17, 2020, photo, a volunteer irons a handmade cotton mask in Hong Kong. Volunteers from a Hong Kong theater group are turning their backstage skills to helping out against the new coronavirus, sewing reusable protective masks for those who can't access or afford them. Jo Ngai, a drama lover and founder of the Nonsensemakers, along with her friend Jessie Han, have turned a theater rehearsal room into a temporary handmade mask factory. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Kin Cheung/Associated Press
Customer has lunch with a transparent plastic panel setup on the table to isolate her from others in hopes of stopping the spread of the coronavirus in a Hong Kong, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2020. China's ruling Communist Party needs to make a politically fraught decision: Admit a viral outbreak isn't under control and cancel this year's highest-profile official event. Or bring 3,000 legislators to Beijing next month and risk fueling public anger at the government's handling of the disease. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Kin Cheung/Associated Press
Personnels wearing protective suits wait near an entrance at the Cheung Hong Estate, a public housing estate during evacuation of residents in Hong Kong, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020. The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health evacuated some residents from the public housing estate after two cases of novel coronavirus infection to stop the potential risk of further spread of the virus. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Kin Cheung/Associated Press
People wearing protective suits stand near the Cheung Hong Estate, a public housing estate, during evacuation of residents in Hong Kong, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020. The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health evacuated some residents from the public housing estate after a few cases of novel coronavirus infection to stop the potential risk of further spread of the virus. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Kin Cheung/Associated Press
A passenger from the cruise ship World Dream docked at Kai Tak cruise terminal shakes hands with staff as she disembarks the ship after be quarantined for the coronavirus in Hong Kong, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020. Several passengers from mainland China on a previous World Dream cruise were found to have the new coronavirus on returning home. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)
Vincent Yu/Associated Press
People wearing masks play games at a quarantined vacation center in Carry-le-Rouet, southern France, which is currently accommodating French citizens repatriated from the virus-hit city of Wuhan, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020. More than 20,000 people have been infected by the outbreak of a respiratory illness from the coronavirus in China. France has issued an advisory, warning against any non-essential travel to China and suggesting that French citizens who were already there return home. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
Daniel Cole/Associated Press
A woman wearing face mask, walks past empty shelf of tissue papers at a supermarket in Hong Kong, Friday, Feb. 7, 2020. In recent days, residents have been buying large amounts of products because they fear that border restrictions, which were enforced to control the coronavirus outbreak, may affect supply flows into Hong Kong. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Kin Cheung/Associated Press
Trader Gregory Rowe works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, March 6, 2020. Stocks are opening sharply lower on Wall Street and bond yields are sinking to more record lows as investors fear that economic damage from the spreading coronavirus outbreak will be longer than previously thought. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Richard Drew/Associated Press
Passengers from the cruise ship World Dream docked at Kai Tak cruise terminal leave the ship after be quarantined for the coronavirus in Hong Kong, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020. Several passengers from mainland China on a previous World Dream cruise were found to have the new coronavirus on returning home. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)
Vincent Yu/Associated Press
A worker wearing a protective suit sprays disinfectant at a primary school where a child was diagnosed with coronavirus in the northern city of Thessaloniki, Greece, on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020. Greece's Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias said all carnival events in Greece would be suspended as a precautionary measure. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)
Giannis Papanikos/Associated Press
A man wears a face mask on a pedestrian street in Duesseldorf, Germany, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020. Authorities in western Germany said Wednesday that a man who contracted COVID-19 is in critical condition. The man with the novel coronavirus was transported to Duesseldorf's University Hospital overnight Wednesday. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Martin Meissner/Associated Press
A specialist rests his head in his hand as he works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020. U.S. stocks fell in midday trading Tuesday, a day after the market's biggest drop in two years, as traders worry that the spreading coronavirus will threaten global economic growth. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Richard Drew/Associated Press
Trader Timothy Nick, left, and specialist Michael Pistillo work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Tuesday, March 3, 2020. Stocks are opening lower on Wall Street after the Group of Seven countries held off on giving the global economy new stimulus to help it cope with the coronavirus outbreak. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Richard Drew/Associated Press
A clerk wearing a face mask looks at her smartphone as she waits for customers at a fruit shop in Beijing, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020. The coronavirus outbreak's impact on the world economy grew more alarming on Saturday, even as President Donald Trump denounced criticisms of his response to the threat as a "hoax" cooked up by his political enemies. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Mark Schiefelbein/Associated Press
Flags wave on empty stands ahead of the women's Biathlon World Cup 7,5 km sprint event in Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic, Thursday, March 5, 2020. Due to the coronavirus the Biathlon World Cup will take place without spectators. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Petr David Josek/Associated Press
In this Monday, Feb. 17, 2020, photo released by Xinhua News Agency, patients infected with the coronavirus take rest at a temporary hospital converted from Wuhan Sports Center in Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province. China reported thousands new virus cases and more deaths in its update Tuesday on a disease outbreak that has caused milder illness in most people, an assessment that promoted guarded optimism from global health authorities. (Xiao Yijiu/Xinhua via AP)
Xiao Yijiu/Associated Press
A traveler stands on a bridge near a display showing government propaganda in the fight against the COVID-19 viral illness in Beijing, China Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020. China is struggling to restart its economy after the annual Lunar New Year holiday was extended to try to keep people home and contain novel coronavirus. Traffic remained light in Beijing, and many people were still working at home. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Ng Han Guan/Associated Press
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Jingjing, a four-month-old patient, is seen in the father's arms at a branch of Children's Hospital affiliated to Zhejiang University School of Medicine in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Feb. 20, 2020. The four-month-old baby infected with the novel coronavirus was discharged from hospital on Thursday and is the youngest patient to recover in the province. (Huang Zongzhi/Xinhua via AP)
Huang Zongzhi/Associated Press
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Jingjing, a four-month-old patient, center, returns to the father's arms at a branch of Children's Hospital affiliated to Zhejiang University School of Medicine in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Feb. 20, 2020. The four-month-old baby infected with the novel coronavirus was discharged from hospital on Thursday and is the youngest patient to recover in the province. (Huang Zongzhi/Xinhua via AP)
Huang Zongzhi/Associated Press
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson reacts during a press conference at Downing Street on the government's coronavirus action plan in London, Tuesday, March 3, 2020. Johnson is announcing plans for combating the spread of the new COVID-19 coronavirus in UK.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein, Pool)
Frank Augstein/Associated PressAs COVID-19 continues to spread in Western Washington, many employers are mandating working from home. Schools are closing. Events are being cancelled.
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Sure, many (though not all) restaurants and grocery stores are remaining open, but residents are encouraged to stay home as much as possible to help curb the spread of COVID-19 throughout the community.
The phrase you may be sick of hearing by now is "social distancing." This has lead to a long-term closure of schools, widespread cancellations of large events and closures of museums and attractions throughout the greater Seattle area.
As of Friday morning, smaller events could still go on if certain provisions were put in place, like ensuring older and vulnerable populations were encouraged not to attend, limiting close contact and ensuring proper handwashing and sanitizing stations were made available.
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In addition, employers were encouraged to allow work-from-home opportunities wherever possible. Under normal circumstances, this would mean people flooding nearby coffee shops for a solid Wi-Fi connection and caffeine fix, but social distancing principles say it really defeats the purpose of working from home if you're anywhere other than your home.
Social distancing is likely to feel isolating for those forced out of their workplaces and out of school. But it's a short-lived time, and it's important to remember that social distancing measures can help protect vulnerable community members.
So what can you do to stay social during social distancing? Click through the slideshow above for some ideas.
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