Social distancing involves actions taken by the public to stop or slow down the spread of a highly contagious disease, including the cancellation of events that draw crowds together as well as people staying 6 feet away from others at all times. (Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Photo/Hope Charters)
The COVID-19 pandemic has people all around the world staying indoors, whether out of personal choice to avoid the risks or because of government-enacted “shelter in place” policies like those in Illinois and Indiana. But being inside for long periods of time can drive some people stir crazy.
In this episode of Teach Me About the Great Lakes, titled “We’re All in This Together,” Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant’s Stuart Carlton and Hope Charters talk with Ron Hershow, director of the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Illinois at Chicago’s School of Public Health. Hershow explains the risks and benefits of going outdoors during a pandemic like the one the world is experiencing with COVID-19.
“We have to change our sensibilities and our ways of approaching life for the next few weeks and months,” said Hershow. “I think the greater success we have in doing that, the better success we’ll have at decreasing the impact of this virus and keeping our health systems open and not overwhelmed.”
If you are looking for information about coronavirus and COVID-19, we encourage you to turn to reputable sources such as your state’s health department. Or, as our guest says, when Dr. Anthony Fauci speaks, perk your ears up.
Teach Me About the Great Lakes is a monthly podcast in which Carlton—a social scientist who grew up in the South near the Gulf of Mexico—asks people to explain the biology, ecology and natural history of the Great Lakes. A new episode will be released on the first Monday of each month. The latest episode is embedded below.
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If you have questions you want answered about the Great Lakes, reach out to @TeachGreatLakes on Twitter or email Stuart Carlton at jsc@purdue.edu.
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant is a part of University of Illinois Extension and Purdue Extension.
