COVID-19 and Social Distancing Efforts—Implications for Cancer Control

Since the beginning of 2020, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has altered the landscape of social relationships worldwide. As of November 18, 2020, more than 55 million total cases of COVID-19 infection have been reported.¹ In the absence of a vaccine or proven treatments, mandated and encouraged social distancing (and lockdowns) remain the only effective weapons against this pandemic. Accordingly, patterns of social interaction have shifted dramatically, with increases in social interaction within the household, decreases in broader social interaction beyond the household, and shifts in social isolation depending on the quantity of household members and other social distancing partners. Moreover, interactions outside the household may be hindered by reliance on digital platforms, anxiety about sharing physical space with those outside the household, and use of face masks (which can obscure facial expressions that otherwise facilitate connection and closeness²). Social relationships have also been altered by the existential threat of the pandemic, which may facilitate a shift toward valuing relationships over productivity.³ Although some relationships flourish in times of stress, others may degrade or end.