Canceling events early can help keep an outbreak from getting worse

Cleaning staff disinfects a subway station in New York City. | Photo by Yana Paskova/Getty Images SXSW, the annual event each year in Austin, Texas, was canceled one week before it was set to start over concerns about the novel coronavirus. The Swiss government banned gatherings of 1,000 people or more, shutting down the 2020 Geneva Motor Show. Emerald City Comic Con, planned for this coming weekend in Seattle, was postponed. In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio asked people to work from home if they’re able and to avoid crowded subway cars. Canceling events and encouraging people to stay out of crowded areas may seem like overkill in places that haven’t had a high number of cases of the virus identified. But evidence from past outbreaks shows that implementing policies that keep people at a distance can prevent one from... Continue reading…