Because respiratory viruses, including
SARS-CoV-2, transmit from person to person by virally loaded aerosols,
any effective measure to disrupt this transmission mode will reduce the
chance of infection. Quarantine has historically been effective in
mitigating and managing contagious epidemics. Thus, many countries have
barred mass-gatherings and encouraged self-isolation, in-house
quarantine, and study or work from home to lower the chance of viral
transmission. More than 210 countries, except Sweden and partially the
United Kingdom, had mandated such strict measures. Social and religious
ceremonies have been barred or postponed. In Australia, for example,
public gatherings were limited and distancing principles, including 1.5
m between individuals and 4 m2 area per person, have
been mandated if unrelated people come together.14,15Further, sporting events have been cancelled or postponed; for example,
the Champions League has been cancelled, and the 2020 Tokyo Olympic
Games postponed. Scientific research, schooling, and universities have
been profoundly affected in many countries.16 The
resultant economic and morale repercussions demand new solutions to
fighting the pandemic and minimizing its negative impacts because the
dynamic and evolving nature of the pandemic may hint that the
counterstrategies may not be efficiently maintainable. Presuming that an
effective drug or a preventive vaccine for COVID-19 is distant, one may
ask, “how long must the counterstrategies continue globally?” We do
not intend here to undermine the importance of developing antiviral
drugs or vaccine projects, but to highlight the importance of public’s
behavioral, cultural, and habitual changes for the pandemic’s duration
and in the immediate future when some restrictions potentially gradually
ease in some countries, e.g., Australia17,18 and New
Zealand.19