Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks. Social distancing is the public health practice of encouraging people to keep their physical distance from each other during disease (24) ________ in order to slow the spread of infection. The purpose of social distancing is to reduce the spread of influenza and to lessen the impact on society and especially on the medical care ...

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.

Social distancing is the public health practice of encouraging people to keep their physical distance from each other during disease (24) ________ in order to slow the spread of infection. The purpose of social distancing is to reduce the spread of influenza and to lessen the impact on society and especially on the medical care system. (25) ________, it may enable some people to avoid infection until a vaccine is available. If you are sick with the influenza pandemic, the best way to keep it from spreading is to stay home because of the following reasons. During a pandemic, everyone is susceptible to pandemic influenza and you could then transmit it to others more vulnerable than you. Small groups are better than big groups because they (26) ________ the risk of exposure. Contaminated surfaces can transmit the influenza virus for 24 hours. People may not show signs and could be contagious. You can be contagious 24-48 hours before illness onset. People are the most contagious when they are ill. Social distancing slows and decreases transmission of influenza, (27) ______ limits the effects on individuals plus schools, workplaces and the health care system. However, there are costs to this method. The costs are related to not only lost school days, missed work but also the loss of social relationships which are key to a community's resilience. When socially distancing, remember not to take it to the extreme and remove yourself from the world. You still have to participate, but do it in a safe way until the (28) _______ clears.