Study: Pa. doing OK in social distancing
Cellphone data show state ranks 23 among the Lower 48
When it comes to following social distancing recommendations to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Pennsylvanians are doing OK.
Not terrible. Not great. In fact, a new study shows the Keystone State falls in the middle of the pack when compared to other states.
The study, which was released last week by the market research firm TOP Data, examined smartphone location data to show which states are following social distancing recommendations by comparing the number of daily interactions between people that last longer than five minutes with the number of coronavirus cases that have been reported.
It then took that information and compiled a ranking system.
Pennsylvania landed at No. 23 on that list.
The study found that Pennsylvanians, between January and August, were having just 50.5% of the normal interactions they were having before the pandemic. Each person was interacting with an average of 2.11 other people each day, compared with 4.18 people at the same time the previous year.
California took the top spot on the list for social distancing. Residents in California were having 22.5% of their normal social interactions, according to the study.
States including South Dakota, Alabama and North Dakota ranked at the bottom of the list, with people in those states having more than 80% of their normal social interactions compared to the same time last year.
Hawaii and Alaska were not included in the study.
The authors of the study said the results show an interesting pattern between social distancing and the number of coronavirus cases.
They point out that former hot spot zones like New York, California, Arizona, Texas and Florida are now adhering to social distancing regulations while parts of the South and the Great Plains have become relaxed in their social distancing and could become future hot spots.
The study, however, didn’t take into account whether people were wearing masks during these interactions.
Public health officials recommend that even when people enter public spaces, like a grocery store, they should keep at least six feet away from others.
That metric is pulled from guidance designed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and is based on past studies of infection among health care workers, and specific to illnesses like the flu that are transmitted by respiratory droplets released when an infected person coughs, sneezes or speaks.