COVID19: ‘Social bubbles’ needed to contain virus

Cypriots should create “social bubbles” with a small group of contacts to help contain the spike in the transmission of coronavirus, helping authorities trace contacts easier, said infection prevention expert Constantinos Tsioutis.

Speaking to CNA, Tsioutis, a member of the government’s scientific team, said the idea is for people to create a group of contacts for their daily interactions and try not to extend their contacts beyond this group for a period of time.

“If a large percentage of the population proceeds to create this social group, then the transmission of the virus is contained, and contact-tracing becomes much easier.”

This “social bubble” can include family members, people living and working together or other frequent contacts like close friends.

In some cou7ntries it has been proposed to limit this circle to 10 or fewer people.

Tsioutis said that despite the implementation of additional measures in Cyprus, there has been no limit in social interactions.

“This model could work in Cyprus since there is no great exposure in indoor spaces due to the island’s characteristics.”