Does Social Distancing Work?

The short answer: absolutely yes. And for now, it’s all we got. This article from National Geographic looks back at how different cities handled the Spanish Flu in 1918-19. The bottom line is that the cities that adopted social distancing policies early fared much better than those who waited, even if they only waited a few days. Two striking comparisons are Philadelphia and New York City. Philadelphia had a death rate of 748 per 100,000 people, while New York City had a death rate nearly half that of 452 deaths per 100,000 people. And until we get a vaccine or some reasonable treatment, distancing ourselves from each other is all we have to keep people safe.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/2020/03/how-cities-flattened-curve-1918-spanish-flu-pandemic-coronavirus/#close