Now that the coronavirus outbreak has reached nearly every corner of the globe, governments around the world are calling on their citizens to do their part to stop the spread of the disease.
MORE: Coronavirus map: Tracking the spread in the US and around the worldThe World Health Organization recommends being vigilant about good hygiene during the outbreak, including staying home when sick, sneezing into your elbow instead of your hand, refraining from touching your face and washing your hands frequently.
An additional public health tactic the WHO and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend is social distancing, which means avoiding mass gatherings and keeping space (the WHO recommends at least 3 feet) between yourself and others, to prevent the virus from spreading from person to person.
Since many of the people who contract COVID-19 may have mild symptoms, or no symptoms at all, social distancing is an important tool to drive down asymptomatic disease transmission.
To aid in that social distancing effort many countries and some U.S. cities, have closed schools, businesses, bars and restaurants, and recommended that citizens stay home, to keep people from coming into close contact with one another.
Take these WHO-backed measures to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in your community:
Check your state's health department for the latest COVID-19 cases