Is it safe to visit a friend during the coronavirus pandemic? Here’s what to know

Health officials have instructed the public to practice social distancing in order to curb the spread of coronavirus or COVID-19, media outlets reported. That means avoiding crowds and staying and working from home if possible.

On March 16, the White House issued new guidelines, urging Americans to avoid groups of more than 10 people, social visits, shopping trips, going to restaurants and bars, and discretionary travel.

Here’s what social distancing means and should look like during a shelter-in-place order and in cities with high rates of transmission.

Can I still visit a friend if it’s not necessary?

You shouldn’t, Danielle Ompad, an associate professor at New York University’s School of Global Public Health, told CNN.

Ompad said visiting friends isn’t a great idea but to try to stay in touch in other ways. “Social distancing does not mean social isolation. It’s really important we maintain our social connections,” Ompad said, according to CNN.

The CDC guidelines say to avoid social visits altogether, but Sean Morrison, a geriatrician with Mount Sinai Health System in New York, told NPR that it can depend on where you live and how widespread the transmission of the virus is.

Morrison recommends limiting to one friend at a time “if you’re in areas where there is less community spread, then limiting visitors rather than eliminating them, in my opinion, is probably a reasonable approach,” according to NPR.

What if you’re under a shelter-in-place order?

Some states, including California, have issued shelter-in-place orders that urge residents to stay inside unless it’s “absolutely essential,” according to The Guardian.

“For your safety as well as their safety, we need to help each other fight the spread of COVID-19 by staying at home,” San Francisco city officials said, according to The San Francisco Chronicle.

Officials said you can leave to take care of elderly family members or people who can’t take care of themselves, according to The San Francisco Chronicle. Just “be sure that you protect them and you do by following social distancing guidelines such as washing hands before and after, using hand sanitizer, maintaining at least 6 feet of distance.”

What about self-quarantines?

People who could have been exposed to the virus are asked to stay home for 14 days, according to CNN. If they don’t test positive for coronavirus, they no longer have to be quarantined.

During the two weeks, you’re asked to isolate as much as possible and to stay inside, according to CNN. There can even be legal consequences in some states if you break a quarantine.

Can my kids play with their friends?

Children can still spread the virus so it’s best to keep kids at home and away from others, according to CNN.

“We know that kids touch each other and rough house with each other, and so we really want to be mindful about reducing that interpersonal contact and any potential spread,” Dr. Asaf Bitton of Ariadne Labs, a health innovation center, told CNN.

This story was originally published March 23, 2020 at 5:10 PM with the headline "Is it safe to visit a friend during the coronavirus pandemic? Here’s what to know."